Arizona's tax structure leads cities to battle across borders for residents and revenues, and to push coordinated development decisions aside.
Arizona cities are falling prey to "zoning for dollars." "The pressure to encourage new development is supersizing Valley cities, as they annex land to support the next big mall...Economics load the dice against balanced growth. Through taxes, Valley cities make almost $9 for every $1 they spend on services for commercial projects. (Residential, while generally a losing proposition, is of course the necessary lure for retailers.)" Within this structure, planners have little ability to affect the broader needs of their communities.
Thanks to Erin Clark
Read the full story: Cities on the Edge
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello