Community / Economic Development
Density Debate Rages Alongside the Pandemic
Questions about how highly contested questions about the future of the built environment will reference COVID-19 for years to come. The question about whether that debate will achieve any actual change is still very much up for debate.
Removal Over Reconstruction: Rectifying Crumbling U.S. Highways
Successful urban highway deconstruction projects have swapped highways for boulevards and saw economic, public health, and urban design benefits. Will more cities opt for highway removal programs over reconstruction?
Census Bureau Launches Data Collection Projects to Track COVID-19 Effects in Real Time
Three new projects will help provide a better sense of the economic and societal effects of the pandemic.
'This Crisis Will Reshape the Way We Understand City Living'
Tel Aviv Foundation’s CEO says city leaders need to listen and be patient to learn from the current crisis. Also, large events, festivals, tourists, and crowds won’t be back for some time, but that could be a good thing
A Death Knell for Department Stores
The latest chapter of the retail apocalypse is not a happy one.
A Canary in the Coal Mine for All Cities? Santa Monica City Manager Steps Down
Rick Cole discusses the existential challenges cities must grapple to be a leading city in the 21st century, Santa Monica's achievements during his five years as city manager, and the sacrifices that will be made as the city endures COVID-19.
States Take Steps to Reopen Regardless of White House Guideline Criteria
Governors of several states announced initial steps to reopen their economies even though their COVID-19 caseloads are not meeting the criteria that they show a decline for two weeks, according to White House reopening guidelines issued April 16.
U.S. Needs to More Than Triple Testing Before States Can Open, Study Says
The United States currently tests about 145,000 people daily. A Harvard study calls for a minimum of 500,000 daily, but that's on the low end if the country wants to prevent shutting down again due to a second wave of the coronavirus.
President Trump's Plan to Reopen the Economy Rests with States
After initially saying that he had total authority on how and when to reopen the economy, Trump handed the responsibility to the 50 governors to make their own decisions and offered guidance in the form of a three-phase plan that relies on testing.
The Geography of Low-Income Job Losses
The historic job losses of the past two months have hit the most vulnerable workers harder than others, so far. The Urban Institute estimated and mapped where more low-income jobs have been lost.
Coronavirus Shuts Down Food Processing Plant as President Pushes Reopening Economy
As President Donald Trump eyes May 1 for "opening up states," he might want to look at states that never shut down businesses to understand his public health advisor's warning that "the virus makes the timeline."
Watch: The Future of Cities After COVID-19
An expert panel convened to discuss the effect of the coronavirus on the foundations of society and contemporary life. The future, both the remaining time dealing with the pandemic and after, is becoming more clear with every passing day and week.
How the Post-Pandemic Future Could Resemble the Pre-Pandemic Future
Response to coronavirus challenges in urban settings will likely be a continuity of work started decades ago.
Expanding Housing Choice Vouchers Would Strengthen the Safety Net
An expanded housing voucher program is needed to address the medium- and long-term economic consequences of COVID-19.
Part II: The New Regionalism of the Coronavirus Pandemic
Part I was shutting down the economy on a multi-state basis in the absence of federal leadership. Part II will be opening them up in spite of federal assertiveness.
Superstar Cities Are Struggling Now, But Could Recover to Gain Even More Economic Power
The public health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus are threatening to further entrench inequality in America—between regions and within cities.
Concern About the Direction of the Next Federal Stimulus Bill
Congressional leaders are discussing the shape and size of the next federal stimulus bill. The following critique argues that the next bill should do more to expand testing, contact tracing, and quarantine capacity at the state level.
Lessons from Pandemics: Comparing Urban and Rural Risks
Many people assume that infectious disease risks make cities dangerous, but this is generally untrue. Other factors have more effect on pandemic risk and mortality rates, making cities safer and healthier than rural areas overall.
Disaster Gentrification and COVID-19
Disaster gentrification is a widely documented phenomenon, like in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The coronavirus and the resulting economic downturn could have similar consequences.
Safe At Home: Securing Affordable Housing in a Pandemic
An interview on the critical importance of securing quality affordable housing during the pandemic, coupled with the challenge of responding to the operational needs of ongoing development projects.
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
