Community / Economic Development

An Inner-City Development Visionary

Richard Baron and McCormack Baron Salazar have big plans for a troubled Baltimore neighborhood.

May 7, 2006 - The Baltimore Sun

Most Expensive Natural Disasters

Reuters calculates the world's five biggest natural disasters in terms of insured losses. Eight of the 11 most expensive disasters in history, at least in terms of insured losses, have occurred along the US Gulf Coast in the past four years.

May 6, 2006 - Planet Ark

Intown Housing Boom Adds To Permit Delays In Atlanta

Long the bane of developers and individual homebuilders alike, the Atlanta Bureau of Buildings now averages 40 to 80 days to provide building permits. Meanwhile, in suburban Gwinnett and Cobb Counties, the turnaround time is under one hour.

May 5, 2006 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Beautifying Iowa, One Vision At A Time

The Living Roadways Community Visioning Program has enabled over 100 small towns in Iowa to improve themselves visually through small urban design improvements that can make a big difference.

May 5, 2006 - Associated Press

The Next Kelo?

A small town on the Jersey Shore has turned into a battleground in the eminent domain debate.

May 5, 2006 - Asbury Park Press

Providence's Downcity District Comes Of Age

New England's second biggest city is experiencing a wealth of revitalization, and nowhere else is it more evident than in downcity, a district reconceptualized by Andres Duany in the 1990's.

May 5, 2006 - The Providence Journal

Bringing New Urbanism To New Orleans

To fund a week-long charrette with over 40 architects, planners, and engineers, New Urbanism founder Andres Duany chipped in $150,000 of his own money. As a result, one neighborhood is much further along in the planning process than its counterparts.

May 3, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

New Urbanism Is Old Business In Indiana River Town

Architectural styles, affordability, convenience, walkability, and economic development are the foci of this "Main Street" event.

May 3, 2006 - Louisville Courier-Journal

Civil Rights Activist And Los Angeles Planner Chi Mui Dies

Mui, only 53, was one of the few first-generation Chinese Americans to successfully run for political office, becoming mayor of San Gabriel in 2003. He also worked for a number of Southern California community groups on civil rights and other issues.

May 2, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

New Urbanists Turned Jacobs' Vision Into 'Superficial Formula'

New Urbanists have damaged Jane Jacobs' legacy writes Nicolai Ouroussoff.

May 1, 2006 - The New York Times

China's Looming Talent Problem

As the country's economy booms, the number of prospective college- and graduate school-educated employees has not kept up.

May 1, 2006 - International Herald Tribune

Inmates In The Garden: Feeding Philadelphia's Hungry

An unlikely partnership between community gardeners and local prison inmates will help feed the over one fifth of the city living below the poverty line.

May 1, 2006 - Philadelphia City Paper

The Evolving -- And Possibly Permanent -- Face Of Graffiti

Acid and shoe polish have proved an indelible combination for New York's lone generation of relatively clean subway cars.

April 29, 2006 - The New York Times

Atlanta Shopping Village Gets Second Chance To Revitalize Neighborhood

Westside Village, a failed pet project of former Atlanta mayor Bill Campbell, has been given a new lease on life through public incentives and private investment. Officials hope the revitalization of its downtrodden neighborhood will follow.

April 29, 2006 - Creative Loafing Atlanta

How Jane Jacobs Challenged 'Olympian' Planners

Jane Jacobs had no college degree in architecture or urban planning. How did she defiantly challenge influential figures such as urban-renewal "czar" Robert Moses?

April 28, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Jane Jacobs' Blocks

Her focus on the literal building blocks of cities inspired countless leaders in the field, many of whom are mentioned here.

April 28, 2006 - The New York Times

Jane Jacobs' Legacies

Urban historian Christopher Klemek discusses the significance of Jane Jacobs' writings and activism.

April 28, 2006 - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Jane Jacobs: Urban Theorist and Community Activist

Renowned urban theorist Jane Jacobs was also an energetic community activist. (Includes links to obituaries published by several news sources.)

April 27, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Best Places To Retire Near Cities

Charles Longino, a professor of gerontology, identifies the best retiree locales that are close to major metropolitan areas by using FBI and U.S. Justice Department crime statistics and housing costs.

April 26, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Learning From Waterloo

In the face of large-scale manufacturing job losses, Ontario's Kitchener-Waterloo region still manages to lead the nation in economic development and innovation.

April 26, 2006 - The Globe and Mail

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.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

Early Bird Deadline – save on your tuition fee!🚨

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

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.