Community / Economic Development
Popularity of Opportunity Zone Program Grows During the Pandemic
Investors are looking for safe places to park capital gains as volatility roils the stock market. Opportunity zone programs fit the bill.
Adapting Public Engagement to Social Distancing
TransitCenter published a new report on the emerging practices of public engagement at a time when large gatherings have been prohibited.
New Ideas in Urban Research
Findings from graduating doctoral students undertaking urban-related research.
Uncertain Futures for U.S. Restaurants Raise Larger Concerns About City Vitality
In many American cities, restaurants are beacons of economic revitalization and social vibrancy. Calculations are still being made to determine the toll taken on the nation's eateries, and in turn, the urban economies they serve.
How Artists Helped a Housing Organization Adapt to Demographic Change
An in-depth look at the lessons one housing organization learned after receiving a multimillion grant to integrate arts and culture strategies in its work. Has the organization changed the way it operates?
U.S. Homelessness Could Jump 45%, Study Says
Unemployment of historically devastating proportions will force people out of their homes and onto the streets, according to a new study by an economist at Columbia University in New York.
An Antiracist Planning and Policy Response to the Coronavirus
What would a crisis response that finally overcomes the history of slavery and structural racism in the United States look like?
Berkeley Could Redefine the Al Fresco Streets Movement
The city of Berkeley is pursuing an aggressive plan to open the streets for outdoor dining as an economic development tool for local commercial businesses.
How Zoning Reform Can Help Businesses Transition to Outdoor Operations
A trend toward allowing restaurants and retailers to expand operations to the public realm outside their brick and mortar confines is quickly gaining steam.
Independent Music Venues Face a Tough Road Ahead
Where have all the venues gone?
Housing Justice Organizers Don’t Want to Return to 'Normal'
As they organize for immediate relief for those whose housing was affected by the pandemic, tenant leaders are also building power to demand long-term changes.
Minimum Parking Requirements Lifted to Support Outdoor Dining in Connecticut
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont included an historic measure in a May 10 executive order: statewide suspension of parking minimums to facilitate outdoor activities.
Another Planning Commissioner Ousted After Coronavirus Controversy in California
Another cautionary tale of a planning commissioner that went too far during the social upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic, and has since been removed from their civic position.
Opinion: Less Restrictive Zoning Necessary for Urban Areas to Lead Recovery
An opinion piece makes the case for pro-development urban planning as a tool of economic recovery.
Survey Data on Coronavirus Effects Reveal Racial Lines
The economic and health effects of coronavirus have spread unevenly across racial lines in the United States, as further revealed by new research from the Pew Research Center.
Crisis Could Result in a More Sustainable Food System
The food system, from supply to distribution and consumption, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Community supported agriculture could potentially benefit.
Editorial: Save the City by Investing in Equity
A New York Times editorial presents a resoundingly pro-urban call to action regarding the future of planning and investment.
An Unlikely State Emerges as Nation's Premier Contact Tracer
The Peace Garden State is one of a handful of rural states never to have issued a stay-at-home order, yet it is number three in coronavirus testing per capita and number one in contact tracing, two of the four tools needed to contain COVID-19.
White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC
President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.
Reopening Main Street
A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
