Community / Economic Development
Candidates' Opposition To Redevelopment Plan Garners Voter Support
The feelings of city council candidates about a downtown revitalization plan appears to have the most sway over voters in El Paso, Texas, who are making large contirbutions to those opposing the plan.
Manifesto for a New Pittsburgh
Several bloggers outline a set of principles to guide the future growth and evolution of the city of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania.
Locals Staunchly Opposed To Affordable Housing Proposal
Plans to build affordable housing in Baltimore have incited local residents to collect hundreds of signatures in opposition to what they fear will destroy their neighborhood.
Economist Tells State To Stop Subsidizing Big Retail
Similar to a proposal being pushed by Arizona legislators, an economist in Minnesota has cautioned the state over providing too many subsidies and tax incentives to big retailers.
Brownfields Reuse Success Stories
California's Department of Toxic Substances Control offers 20 case studies of successful reuse of brownfields sites within the state.
Redevelopment Projects Have Some Residents Wary
Surrounded by major government centers and large new public works projects, Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, is preparing to reveal a plan to redevelop its waterfront -- a revival effort many residents are wary of.
Riverfront's Potential For Improving Quality Of Life
Harris Steinberg, director of PennPraxis, outlines one important lesson from the Central Delaware Waterfront Planning Process, which his organization is charged with leading. He describes the importance of open space as a catalyst for development.
From Struggling Town To Luxury Resort
A small Swiss village may become a new luxury resort, as Egyptian investors have targeted the site for redevelopment. Many residents were at first apprehensive, but have come to see the redevelopment as a savior for their struggling home
Facing Urban Renewal, Montreal's Red-Light District Gathers Defenders
City officials in Montreal want to clean up its red-light district, targeting the notoriously X-rated area as the first site for urban renewal in the city. But many say the area's heritage and soul are worth preserving.
Urban Areas Receiving Rural Aid
Billions of dollars in federal grants and loans intended for the development of rural areas have been given to areas The Washington Post has found to be far more urban than rural, including beach resorts and suburbs.
Adaptive Recycling: From Brick Wall To Public Park
Community activists and designers have made a deal with local officials to reuse construction materials from a demolished fire station to build an amphitheater in a local park.
Opposition Growing To Public Subsidies For Retail Mega-Projects
Proposed state legislation in Arizona will punish cities that offer subsidies to retail projects. Kansas City's new mayor was elected on an anti-TIF platform. Increasingly, public financing for urban revitalization is coming under attack.
Salt Lake City Considers Ban On Retail Chains
In response to the loss of local businesses in some of Salt Lake City's neighborhoods, Mayor Rocky Anderson is proposing a ban on chain stores in neighborhoods valued for their local character and businesses. But support for the ban is sparse.
Missouri Town Approves Form-Based Code
The town of Blue Springs, Missouri, has turned to a form-based code to help revitalize its downtown and improve predictability for residents and developers alike.
Two Abandoned Railroads, Two Different Results
Debate over the future of an elevated railway in Philadelphia is missing a key ingredient that has helped pushed New York's High Line project forward -- leadership and vision.
Town's Smart Growth Vision Remains Unrealized
Residents of one Upstate New York town have spent 4 years trying to transform a former hospital site into an mixed-use town center, without success.
Do We Need To Rethink Gentrification?
A growing number of scholars argue that traditional ideas about the causes of gentrification, as well as the winners and losers, may be unfit to describe the complex processes happening in modern day cities.
Mayor Releases 'Realistic' Plan For New Orleans
The newly released blueprint by Mayor Ray Nagin and Recovery Chief Ed Blakely may be the type of practical redevelopment plan New Orleans has been waiting for all along.
Getting Smart Growth Without Gentrification
Planning activists in San Francisco are working to encourage infill development without neglecting social equity concerns.
When Eminent Domain Arrives In Your Junk Mail
Marcos M. Villatoro responds to receiving a "clumsy, ham-fisted" form letter from the Los Angeles Unified School District informing him that his house is one of the many to be taken to build a new elementary school.
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
