Community / Economic Development
Construction Begins On Nation's Largest Park For Disabled Children
In California, a huge team of volunteers is building the nation's largest playground for disabled children, equipped with slides and ramps wide enough for wheelchairs, rubber ground padding, and textured play surfaces for blind children.
Building Condos And Communities
Condo projects in New York are adding community-building features to new developments that encourage residents to come out of their homes and interact.
Assembling Land Without Eminent Domain
A new approach to land assembly gives property owners a stake in redevelopment, and offers a alternative to the use eminent domain.
India's Poor Displaced By Country's Industrialization
Land is being grabbed up all over India in efforts to industrialize the country and bring in foreign investment. The country's poor in these primarily agricultural areas are disproportionately affected by these acquisitions.
Placemaking and Public Libraries
As public libraries take on more roles in their communities -- including acting as key public spaces -- librarians are adopting "placemaking" into their facility and service planning.
Unlucky Chicago Site May Finally Be Developed
Two new developments may finally bring an end to a long streak of bad luck for a site in downtown Chicago, where projects just couldn't seem to get finished. The city changed its development strategy and is hoping the new projects revive the site.
New York City Considers Congestion Charges
New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveils ambitious sustainability plans.
Will Khartoum Become The 'African Dubai'?
Oil money has fueled an urban development boom in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum, prompting some to call it the "African Dubai". But with the continuing and deadly conflict in Darfur, many countries are hesitant to invest in Sudan.
Mayors Want Regional Cooperation In Suburban Cleveland
A group of suburban mayors in the Cleveland area have proposed combining many of their cities' services to create a regional government structure they say will improve the area's economy and community planning.
Subsidizing Corporate Chains May Cause Sprawl
Many have criticized city subsidies to lure corporate employers as a wasteful use of taxpayer money, but new evidence has also correlated the subsidies to urban sprawl. Neal Peirce discusses the evidence.
Is Detroit's Rebound Around The Corner?
Professor Robert Fishman, author of "The Fifth Migration", argues that Americans' rediscovery of inner cities will give even troubled cities like Detroit a major boost.
Designing To Fill The Gaps In Philadelphia
Designers and community development corporations collaborate on concepts for infill development along Philadelphia's commercial corridors.
Raising The Roof On America's Malls
The tide in mall development is changing to incorporate elements of nostalgia for 'Americana' and a hometown feel, complete with story lines, but concerns over traffic congestion and over-development persist.
Little Saigon Threatened By Retail Chains
Seattle residents are protesting a 600,000 square foot retail development set to move into the city's historic Little Saigon neighborhood. They fear that the character of the neighborhood will be erased by the major chain retailers on tap to move in.
Can Ottawa Become 'Cool'?
Amid recent talk amongst Canadian officials about the future of Canada's capital city, Ottawa, some say the government city is too square to become an international destination. But others see a way for Ottawa to "swagger".
Should Cities Take A Lesson From Suburbs?
Instead of blaming their problems on them, cities should learn lessons from suburbs about how to make places where people want to live, according to this editorial.
Developers Say Impact Fees Create Uneven Burden
The city of Tucson, Arizona, is considering charging impact fees on new developments to pay for public services, but many developers and business owners say the burden is too heavy.
Have Cities Abandoned The Poor And Middle Class?
A new book argues that most American cities have fully embraced neoliberal policies that encourage gentrification, privatization, and corporate invasion -- at the expense of lower- and middle-class residents.
The Grocery Store Every Community Wants
The specialty grocery store chain Trader Joe's is often wooed by communities around California -- but the chain remains secretive about its location selection process.
As The Nation Grows, Jersey City Shows How To Deal
Experiencing a rebound of smart growth and urban development, Jersey City, New Jersey, is becoming an example for other growing cities.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
