Boosters like to sell downtown revitalization as crucial to a region's economic interest -- but for most cities, that's rarely the case.
In his final column for a Phoenix paper, Tom Gibbons writes:
"The two occupations with the biggest boosters for subsidizing back-to-the-future downtown revitalization are university faculty and business journalists.
Then there's me. Despite having taught college classes and, for the past five years, toiling as business editor here, I just haven't gotten with the program."
"I have nothing against downtowns, or sports venues or arts centers or bio-tech. I think they add something to a city or a region. But let's not pretend that money we spend on these ventures will all come back to us with interest added. These subsidies are expenses, not investments. "
Read the full story: A farewell rant about downtown revitalization efforts
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority