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
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie