Through reliance on tax revenue and tax increment financing (TIF) projects, small cities must attract developers to sustain themselves, according to this op-ed.
"St. Louis suburbanites must love local government; they've created so much of it. With 91 municipalities in St. Louis County alone, you can hardly walk to the mailbox without bumping into an alderman.
But the close-to-home benefits of tiny communities come with big problems. A town of 5,000 enjoys no economies of scale in running a police force, managing road crews or maintaining parks. And shifts in the regional economy can strip towns of sales tax revenue as businesses close and shoppers flock to a glitzy new mall one town over. Hazelwood, Rock Hill, Jennings and Maplewood have felt such woes in recent years."
"Towns prostrate themselves at the feet of developers, offering property tax breaks to lure retail enclaves that will swipe sales tax revenue from all the towns around it."
FULL STORY: Sense in suburbia
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Can Geothermal Energy Fuel Hawaiʻi’s Future?
Gavin Murphy, a New Zealand-based consultant with experience in indigenous-led geothermal projects, argues that Hawaiʻi is poised to achieve energy independence and economic growth by respectfully developing its untapped geothermal resources.
Climate Gardening: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes in Los Angeles
TreePeople’s 4th Annual Urban Soil Symposium explored how climate gardening, soil health, and collaborative land management strategies can enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.
Electric Surge: EV Chargers Outnumber Gas Nozzles in California
California now has 48% more electric vehicle chargers than gasoline nozzles, reflecting its rapid shift toward clean transportation and aggressive zero-emission goals despite federal pushback.
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.
Florida Atlantic University
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland