Community / Economic Development
Revitalized Downtown Struggles With 'Hangover' Effect
While many downtowns struggle to attract residents and visitors, Madison, Wisconsin has succeeded in creating a vibrant nightlife scene, so much so, that overcrowding and alcohol-related crime have become a serious problem.
Seattle's Sustainability Strategies
The National Trust Main Street Center profiles community sustainability strategies from Seattle and other Washington State communities.
Public Libraries Act As Refuge For Many
Public libraries are increasingly being called upon to provide disaster services and support for those chronically in need, such as the homeless and seniors, yet their budgets continue to be cut.
Condos Rise In Forward Thinking Blue Collar Town
A company town near Seattle leveraged former Boeing property to attract new residential and commercial development, and is even luring the city's sports teams and the Seattle branch of the Federal Reserve Bank.
Community Divided Over Historic Designation
Residents in one New York City neighborhood are split over whether the creation of an official historic district would help or hurt their community.
'Nuclear Blast-Zone' Ring Development
Over security concerns, the U.S. government has moved some of its federal offices outside the "nuclear blast-zone" of Washington D.C. The move of offices about 75-miles from the D.C. ground zero is bringing an economic boom to the area's small towns.
Richmond Learns To Grow Smaller, Smarter
Richmond, Virginia is one of many cities using innovative strategies to deal with the consequences of a shrinking population.
Reforming Toward Prosperity: 2006 In Review
The Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program provides a review of its work in 2006, along with a list of the ten most noteworthy trends.
Do Poor Neighborhoods Keep People Poor?
Studies tracking subjects in HUD's Moving to Opportunity program have shown surprising results. While girls thrive and adults feel safer after moving to more affluent neighborhoods, boys actually fare worse. And incomes don't rise.
Light Rail An Expected Economic Boon In Oregon
A new light rail project connecting several towns to downtown Portland, Oregon, is highly expected to boost the area's economy. Transit-oriented housing and retail development is expected to contribute significantly.
Britain Cuts Poverty Using U.S.-Style Methods
Borrowing rhetoric and programmatic ideas from U.S. efforts, the Blair administration in Britaan has managed to cut the nation's child poverty rate by more than half. But anti-poverty policies have not been without their critics.
Austin To Consider New Fund To Save Downtown 'Mom and Pops'
With new development threatening quirky non-chain restaurants and other retail stores, the City of Austin wants to create a fund to support and attract certain types of downtown businesses.
When Going Gets Tough, Struggling Small Towns Get Creative
Across America, small towns are struggling to get by economically as many residents move out and businesses follow. But some small towns are employing some creative ideas -- from giant killer bee statues to storytelling festivals -- to stay afloat.
Ohio Tax-Sharing Program Looks To Boost Regional Economy
Representatives from seven Northeast Ohio counties are looking to form a regional partnership that would include tax-sharing, comprehensive regional planning and an equitable distribution of service and affordable housing.
A Sharp Population Decline Predicted For Japan
A new report has been released in Japan that projects a sharp drop in the country's population over the next 50 years. The report predicts that a declining birth rate will cause a decrease of more than 30% by 2055.
Smart Growth Success In Metro D.C.
Arlington, Virginia, and Silver Spring, Maryland, are two cities in the rapidly growing Washington D.C. metro area that are bucking the trend of handling growth by sprawl and moving towards Smart Growth policies.
Lowering the Bottom Line
From city, neighborhood, block to building-scales, Stephen Mouzon offers ideas to offset high housing costs and economic segregation.
Codes and Plans The Key To New Urbanism
Robert Steuteville comments on the progress The New Urbanism has made in implementing form-based codes and regional plans.
The Demise Of Miami's Public Housing Czar
Rene Rodriguez, the once highly lauded director of the Miami-Dade Housing Agency, stands accused of taking from the poor to serve developer interests, as well as his own.
The Modern Streetcar 'Hoax'?
Plans for modern streetcars are becoming more popular across the U.S. as one component of a revitalization plan. Randal O'Toole argues that the connection between streetcars and economic development is a hoax.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
