Is innovation the only important factor in a successful urban strategy?
Proponents of the "creative class" suggest that "the key to urban resurgence" lies in attracting creative and innovative people to cities. Joel Kotkin and Fred Siegel argue that "the latte quotient is a bad strategy for building middle-class cities". The authors believe that placing too much emphasis on attracting the "creative classes" is no panacea for solving the more mundane problems that plague cities. Creativity and innovation are important, but these elements alone are not sufficient to form an urban strategy. Cities that prospered from the dot com trend are now suffering as they lose jobs and residents. Perhaps the key to urban renewal is not 'coolness' so much as 'livability'.
Thanks to Zvi Leve
FULL STORY: Too Much Froth

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.

When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions