Developments around the mall are now subject to tax breaks as part of a new program meant to aid disadvantaged communities.
"The Mall of America and the booming district around it are now considered 'economically distressed' in the eyes of the federal government, qualifying the area for new tax breaks intended for the country’s poorest neighborhoods," Eric Roper reports for StarTribune.
Bloomington's South Loop area is home to some lower-income residents, the paper reports, but it's also an area already in the midst of a development boom; it will soon have nine new hotels. Two of the opportunity sites approved by the state are owned by the mall.
The federal Opportunity Zones program, created in 2017, has garnered criticism for spurring gentrification and displacement. A Brookings report featured in the article suggests that many zones around the country will maximize development opportunities but not necessarily deliver benefits to low-income residents.
FULL STORY: Tax break for poor areas boosts Mall of America district
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
New York Transit Agency Launches Performance Dashboard
The tool increases transparency about the agency’s performance on a variety of metrics.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.