Community / Economic Development

'Unprecedented' Portland Community Benefits Agreement Prioritizes Racial Equity
The Broadway Corridor CBA is designed to create high quality jobs, housing, and opportunities for historically excluded communities.

More Western Cities Approve ADUs to Help Relieve Housing Crisis
Proponents of 'granny flats' say they can alleviate housing shortages and help families keep their homes, but others worry that the programs don't do enough to target low- and middle-income property owners.

Study: Housing First is a Success in Denver
Results from five years of Denver's Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative show that people and communities benefit from a 'Housing First' approach to homelessness.

Big Cities Aren't as Bad as People Think
Paul Krugman argues that the pervasive myth of cities as crime-ridden cesspools harms democracy and creates a false contrast between urban and small-town America.

San Francisco Supervisors Vote to Keep Parklets, Close Them at Night
The pandemic-era outdoor seating arrangements can stay, but a last-minute amendment lets business owners close them overnight.

Arizona's Tallest Building Will Soon Be Vacant
The tallest building in the Grand Canyon State will enter a new era.

Remote Work Won't Radically Change Where We Work
As tech firms like Apple expand their satellite offices and remote work opportunities, economists and work experts debate just how much the dispersal made possible by remote work will be held in check by the forces of agglomeration.

It's Good to Be a Small Business in These 6 U.S. Cities
Here are six U.S. cities where small companies are thriving.

New Homeless Plan for D.C. Aims for Post-Pandemic Reset
Washington, D.C. is looking to build on some past success, and recover from some setbacks, with the adoption of a new plan to address homelessness called Homeward 2.0.

The World's Economic Bailout Came With Huge Environmental Costs
The world collectively spent on $17 trillion economic stimulus during the pandemic. The vast majority of that spending will make climate change and other environmental pollution much worse.

Flood Buyouts Exacerbate Inequality in Harris County, Texas
New research shows that less affluent households disperse farther to find affordable homes, leading to a loss of community and social capital.

Austin Won't Commit to Parking Reductions for Affordable Housing Project
The developer of a proposed affordable housing argues that minimum parking requirements will reduce the number of units or pass costs to tenants, Austin regulators expressed are worried about local parking supplies and access to public transit.

What Will Cambridge's New Affordable Housing Overlay Do?
The policy is aimed at reducing the cost of building affordable housing and helping affordable housing developers to better compete on property acquisitions.

What Is Urban Renewal?
Ostensibly intended to improve "blighted" neighborhoods and provide better housing conditions, urban renewal often involved displacement and the wholesale destruction of urban communities.

New York Lags Behind California in Converting Hotels to Affordable Housing
While the Golden State has awarded $800 million in funds for 'Project Roomkey,' a bill passed by the New York State Senate languishes in the governor's office.

Biden Administration's Energy Hypocrisy Exposed
World Oil, an energy publication, slightly annotated a Bloomberg News article to expose the hypocrisy of the Biden administration: curtailing oil production at home while pushing to increase it abroad.

The Inequities of Beach Access
Over 80% of Californians live within an hour’s drive of a beach, but that does not mean that everyone has easy access to beaches.

Locals Vehemently Oppose Venice Beach Homeless Housing
The controversies about homelessness in what was once a beach community full of hippies and surfers has boiled over in response to a large proposed development of supportive housing on a surface parking lot owned by the city.

12 Developments That Will Change Houston Forever
Major upcoming projects include Hewlett Packard's new global headquarters, a 'boardwalk district' in Katy, and massive housing developments.

Documenting L.A.'s Reclaimed Industrial Sites
Community activists across the city have fought to clean up, preserve, and enhance former industrial sites as parks, community gardens, and green spaces.
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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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions