Community / Economic Development
Milwaukee Launches Innovative Economic Development Website
The new site, the latest in a growing number of online tools used to cultivate investment, allows companies to research demographics, find vacant parcels, and identify business assistance programs.
Bringing The 'Community' Into The Community Benefits Agreement Process
In a test case that could serve as an organizing model for other communities, the non-profit West Harlem Local Development Corporation has been created specifically to negotiate with Columbia University as it plans a major campus expansion.
A&P, Wal-Mart, And The American Consumer Identity
Sixty years ago, chains like A&P and Woolworth transformed American citizens into consumers. Shedding this consumer identity is key to turning back the big-box tide, says Stacy Mitchell, the author of a recent book on mega-retailers.
Taking Back Farmland In Brazil
As poverty increases in Brazil and small farmers are pushed off of their lands into the overcrowded city's and ghettos, some groups are doing whatever it takes to re-distribute farmland to the poor.
Best Ideas Of 2006 Features Innovations In Planning
Urban design, housing for homeless people, and planning for decreased population are highlighted in the New York Times Magazine's annual survey of innovative ideas.
Cohousing Projects Increasing Nationwide
Land has been purchased for what will be Oakland's fourth cohousing project, a collection of about 33 housing units with an underlying purpose of cooperation and community. Similar community housing projects are cropping up across the country.
River Restoration Begins In California
In California, the largest river restoration project in the West has begun as water formerly directed from the Owens River to the Los Angeles Aqueduct is rerouted along 62 miles of its original path to Owens Lake in Central California.
A Career In Brownfields
A innovative training program in Boston is helping people get better jobs cleaning up the environment.
Has Bringing Housing To Downtown Oakland Hurt The City?
Outgoing Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown's plan to add 10,000 residents to its downtown hasn't succeeded in its original goal -- to boost the city's revenue from sales taxes.
Residents Team Up To Prevent Unwanted Zoning Change
A block of neighborhood-minded Baltimore residents has pressured the city's zoning board to reject a plan to create a community service center nearby that offers job training and AIDS counseling, despite the area's need for economic investment.
Do-It-Yourself Urban Planning
A new urban design center in St. Paul, Minnesota, allows residents to try their hand at city planning in hopes of educating the public about managing growth and development.
Economic Development Incentives Aren't City Friendly In Michigan
A new report concludes that economic incentives provided by the State of Michigan to foster job growth hurt cities by creating jobs in outlying areas.
Can Oakland Lead The Green Economy?
Oakland's new progressive mayor and the Oakland Apollo Alliance are working to turn that city's fortunes around through "green collar" jobs and "green enterprise zones".
Changing Auto Industry Links The Fates Of Two Towns
While Rustbelt cities cope with job losses at ailing U.S. auto makers, the south is benefiting from Asian auto makers' success.
Taking The Pulse Of Middle Market Neighborhoods
Policymakers in Memphis, Tennessee, are taking a closer look at the housing market in middle-income neighborhoods that are increasingly destabilizing due to neglect.
Downtown Memphis Looks To Sports Arena To Spur Development
Piecemeal development has occurred around the FedEx Forum in Downtown Memphis, but a major project from a potential new owner of the city's NBA team has boosters excited.
Online Property Database Could Fuel Growth
Economic development leaders are touting a soon to be launched Internet database of hundreds of properties in 10 Western Pennsylvania counties around Pittsburgh as a valuable tool to attract companies and jobs.
What Philly Can Learn From New York's Waterfront
A recent trip to New York's Hudson River Park has opened the eyes of Philadelphia residents looking to redevelop their city's waterfront along the Delaware River. But in comparing the waterfronts of the two cities, Philly's lacks a sense of purpose.
Local Business Suffers As Council Calls For Economic Safe Bet
The city council in Oxford, England, is considering replacing what's left of its local businesses and public spaces with city-revenue-generating corporate chains and retail outlets.
Small Town Pins Economic Hopes On Ethanol And Other Renewables
Mayor Al Christianson of Washburn, North Dakota, hopes to capitalize on the burst of interest in exploiting renewable, traditional, and alternative energy resources that are abundant in the Northern Plains.
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
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
