Community / Economic Development

Using Concert Halls For Urban Revitalization

Cities across North America are opening new concert halls in hopes of sparking cultural and economic development and boosting civic pride.

September 3, 2006 - The New York Times

Transit Oriented Development On The Rise In Atlanta

After years of inactivity, new mixed-use developments are sprouting around MARTA transit stations.

September 3, 2006 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Building Lifestyle Centers Instead Of Malls

The Shops at Evergreen Walk creates a community gathering place, with fewer scary teenagers, among high-end retail shops.

September 2, 2006 - National Public Radio

Three-part Series On Rebuilding From Katrina, A Year Later

The Christian Science Monitor runs a feature-length, three-part series that examines the people, money, and environment on the Gulf Coast one year after Katrina.

September 2, 2006 - The Christian Science Monitor

Is Vancouver, Canada The New Model For Urban Planning?

Having recently shown off its vibrant and dense downtown at the 2006 World Urban Forum, planners from around the world are looking to Vancouver as a model for sustainable urban planning.

September 1, 2006 - New Matilda

Inclusionary Housing In Queens, New York

130 blocks have been rezoned to include an inclusionary housing requirement in the New York City borough.

September 1, 2006 - City Limits Weekly

Calgary Suffering From Its Excess Of Riches

The fallout from a local oil boom has Calgary scrambling to address shortages of labor, housing, office space, and just about everything else.

August 31, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Malls: Old vs New

A fight over a new development in suburban L.A. accentuates not only the tenacity and bitterness of local politics, but also two radically different visions for 21st century retail: large enclosed shopping malls or smaller New Urbanist templates.

August 31, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

In Monterey California, It's Slow-Growth Advocates Versus Developers and Immigrants

What to do with an area that produces some 80 percent of the nation's lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach that lacks in housing for migrant workers? Why build more housing of course. Not so fast say "slow-growth" advocates.

August 31, 2006 - Wall Street Journal via The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Is A New New Orleans Emerging?

For the past year the effort to rebuild New Orleans has been awash in controversy and debate between competing visions. While much is being accomplished through a "citizens' revolution", the city still needs a plan.

August 31, 2006 - The New York Times

Local Libraries Evolving Into Resource Centers For Small Business

Eager to remain viable in the Information Age, libraries are providing resources for entrepreneurs to learn, network and use the Internet to grow their businesses.

August 31, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Growth Makes Town A City

The town of Columbia, Maryland, is on the verge of transforming into a full-blown city. Pushing a broad redevelopment plan, officials are trying to ease the transition while some residents resist.

August 30, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun

Houston's Growing Pains

Planners are using public participation to overcome past haphazard development and create a vision for the city's transit corridors.

August 29, 2006 - The Houston Chronicle

California? Dreaming!

The state has the distinction of being the least-affordable in the nation, according to a new report from the California Building Industry Association.

August 29, 2006 - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

New Orleans Still Without A Plan

A year after Katrina, the federal money for rebuilding is just starting to arrive, while the city's mayor has failed to lead the reconstruction.

August 28, 2006 - The Boston Globe

The Bronx: An Urban Comeback Story

With a slate of major new development projects, including the new Yankee Stadium, New York's Bronx borough is headed for a comeback after decades of decline and struggle.

August 28, 2006 - The New York Sun

America's Affordable Housing Crisis

A recent article in the Washington Post calls for drastic action from local communities and politicians in Washington to address the growing lack of affordable housing.

August 28, 2006 - The Washington Post

15 Worst Tourist Traps

MSN identifies 15 tourist traps to avoid.

August 27, 2006 - MSN

Friday Funny: Why Don't People Want To Gentrify My Neighborhood?

A struggling artist laments in The Onion that more people like him aren't moving into his neighborhood to make it even more authentic than it is now...and asking for $3.00 lattes.

August 25, 2006 - The Onion

Katrina 'Reshuffled' The Fortunes of Gulf Coast Cities

While New Orleans' economy struggles to return to its pre-storm levels, cities such as Mobile, Alabama are reaping the benefits of renewed economic vigor.

August 25, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

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.