Community / Economic Development

From Superfund To Super Fun

The City of Saco, Maine is turning land the federal government once labeled a toxic Superfund site into a hub for hiking, fishing, and recreation.

May 28, 2008 - Portland Press Herald

Budapest To Encourage Cycling

Thick congestion has politicians in Budapest looking at ways to improve mobility -- mainly by encouraging bicycle use.

May 28, 2008 - AFP

Eminent Domain Used to Save Summer Camp

Representatives in North Providence, RI are attempting to save a site used for a camp for inner-city youth from developers, and may resort to using eminent domain to do so.

May 28, 2008 - www.redorbit.com

Turkey Hopes Planned Dam Generates More Than Electricity

Plans to build a massive dam in Turkey have many hopeful that its creation will revive the local economy.

May 28, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Israel Weighs Smart Growth

The Movement for Israeli Urbanism makes the case that Israel's current planning policies are not sustainable.

May 27, 2008 - The Jerusalem Post

Foreclosures Hit Cleveland Hard

This segment from NPR looks at the city of Cleveland and examines how foreclosures have devastated the city and many of its neighborhoods.

May 27, 2008 - NPR

Green Neighborhood Plan Has Residents Riled

As Mayor Bloomberg moves forward with an eco-friendly redevelopment for the crumbling Willets Point neighborhood, locals feel pushed aside and complain that eminent domain is out of control.

May 23, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Best U.S. City to Raise a Family: Honolulu?

Let the controversy begin -- Best Life Magazine named Honolulu #1 on its list of "The 100 Best Places to Raise a Family", while Flint, Michigan scrapes the bottom. Where does your city rank?

May 21, 2008 - Best Life Magazine

Developer To SF: Let's Make A Deal On Affordable Housing

Hoping to head off a competing ballot measure, Miami-based developer Lennar Corp. has voluntarily agreed to set aside 3,200 of the planned 10,000 homes on San Francisco's Hunters and Candlestick Point for low- and moderate-income families.

May 20, 2008 - The San Francisco Chronicle

More Cities Face Naturally Decreasing Population

More people die than are born in Pittsburgh every year -- seriously impacting the city's schools, laborforce and healthcare infrastructure. Other American cities will soon follow, say demographers.

May 20, 2008 - The New York Times

Redevelopment Induced Sprawl

In Kansas City, many tax increment financing zones are simply luring existing business to move and creating new sprawling development.

May 18, 2008 - The Pitch

The Placemaking Power Of Artists

A recent conference focused on how planners use the transformative effect that artists bring to a community to help jump start urban revitalization.

May 16, 2008 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cities Want Banks To Pay For Blight Caused By Foreclosures

Minneapolis is one of several cities that have filed lawsuits against mortgage companies, seeking damages for the blight caused by the large number of foreclosures in some of its neighborhoods.

May 16, 2008 - USA Today

The Wildflower Wars

A dazzling wildflower season spells trouble for master-planned communities across the West.

May 16, 2008 - The Next American City

How To Justify Economic Development Subsidies

Quebec is notorious for its lavish subsidies designed to lure business. But with transparent accounting and a cost-benefit ratio of 3.74 to 1, the province's economic development agency makes sure taxpayers know what they are getting for their money.

May 14, 2008 - New Brunswick Business Journal

Swapping A Sports Arena For More Vibrant Streetscape

Architects in Baltimore are arguing that the city should build its new arena near its other sports facilities, freeing up the old location for redevelopment that can help revitalize its downtown.

May 14, 2008 - The Baltimore Sun

The City, the College and the Hospital

This article from Governing looks at the role of higher education and medical facilities in keeping urban areas alive.

May 14, 2008 - Governing

Has Seattle Become Too Expensive For Its Own Good?

Celebrated for its livability and character, the city is increasingly unaffordable to the very people who gave Seattle its funky vibe.

May 13, 2008 - The Seattle Times

District of Rats

Washington D.C. has successfully invested more than $600 million in a new baseball stadium, but the city's infamous infestation with rats is nowhere near resolved. Reason's Matt Welch asks why.

May 12, 2008 - Reason

Sweden Tops All Nations As Climate-Friendly

One country stands out in Europe in surpassing the greenhouse gas emission reductions required by the Kyoto Protocol - Sweden. While it used several environmental technologies to achieve those reductions, experts give credit to its carbon tax.

May 10, 2008 - The Guardian

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.