Community / Economic Development
Creating a Place for Public Debate of City Planning and Design
Baltimore considers following in the footsteps of Paris, San Francisco and Copenhagen by opening a "design center", a place for people to gather and debate the design of their city.
Emptying Suburbs Sign of Things to Come
CNN reports on the growing chaos in suburbs emptied by the mortgage crisis, and what they tell us about the future of the American dream.
The Gentrification of Harlem
From Home Depot to high-rise office buildings, Harlem's upward trend is producing "root shock," causing some residents to believe it is only a matter of time before they are displaced.
Disobedient Architect to Be Banned from Brooklyn
Brooklyn architect Robert M. Scarano Jr. has crossed Brooklyn's zoning laws too many times, and the city is making the case to ban him from submitting any plans. In the worst case, he put two apartment buildings in a location greenlighted for one.
Parks Seen as Key to Downtown's Raleigh's Future
Planners and community leaders in Raleigh, North Carolina are looking to find ways to bring more residents to the city's struggling downtown. Many say building more parks and playgrounds will be crucial to attracting new residents.
Honolulu Eyes Light Rail As Savior of Local Economy
With plans for a $4 billion light rail system, the city of Honolulu is hoping to boost its economy and create more jobs by contracting a number of smaller firms to do the project's work instead of one big firm.
G is for Grocery
The City of Palo Alto, CA concludes that grocery stores are a lynchpin of walkable neighborhoods, and votes to establish new "grocery" zoning districts.
Study Calls for Better Cooperation Between Feds and Metropolises
The federal government needs to recognize the economic power of the country's metropolises and work with them to create successful regions, according to a recent study from the Brookings Institution.
Solar Home Overshadowed by New Construction: Is There a 'Right to Light'?
Planners in Saskatchewan, Canada encouraged the Schewes to build solar panels on their roof and go off the grid. Then they okayed a home next door that overshadowed the Schewes. Do homeowners have a 'right to light'?
Oklahoma's Car Culture Forced to Adapt
Oklahoma City residents used to 70-mile commutes are turning to carpooling as gas hovers at $4 a gallon. But with the largest land area of any U.S. city, providing public transit remains a major challenge.
Brits Say US Cities Should Look To UK's Successes
Dermot Finch of the Centre for Cities, an independent research group, says that the U.S. could learn a lot from the U.K.'s urban renaissance.
Ambitious City Center Plan Moves Forward
Despite the economic downturn, city officials in Spokane Valley, WA move forward with a plan to build something the city has always lacked: a true city center.
The Best Small Town You've Never Heard Of
Exeter, California, may lie off the beaten path and be little-known outside the southern San Joaquin Valley. But its thriving, spotless downtown would be the envy of most cities.
'Tele-Nurses' Save Precious Bucks on Ambulances
Instead of sending an ambulance every time someone calls 9-1-1, the Houston City Council voted to contract with a telephone nursing service for non-emergencies.
Urban Farms Create Flow of Food and Cash in Cuba
Urban farms in Cuba have proven successful at feeding the country and providing hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Making Suburbs Act Like Cities
In order to respond to the changing climate and economy, many say suburbs need to start acting more like cities.
Too Many Condos, Not Enough Jobs
Planners in Vancouver are moving to curb booming residential growth to expand commercial development downtown. 'It's all good to walk and bike to work, but if you don't have offices for people to go to, that makes things rather difficult.'
Crime, Rising Costs Draw Concerns for World Cup Host
With the first game of the 2010 World Cup exactly two years away, many in host country South Africa are concerned about rising inflation, increased violence, and skyrocketing costs of stadium construction.
Skylines Rising in New Global Cities
Cities across the world are rising higher and beefing up their skylines with high-profile skyscrapers. A building boom in emerging global cities has put a new face on the battle for the best skyline.
Zoning for Amusement
Coney Island fights to preserve its history of sideshows and tilt-a-whirls as revitalization steps into the ring.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
