This episode of Smart City looks at riverfront redevelopment as a tool for recreating cities.
"The redevelopment of riverfronts has been one of the drivers of urban revitalization in many U.S. cities. This week's guests are working to bring new life to two of those riverfronts.
Benny Lendermon is leading the effort to bring Memphians to the Mississippi River. Benny is president of the Memphis Riverfront Development Corporation, a public-private partnership charged with making the stretch of the Mississippi River at the city's front doorstep more people-friendly.
Cathy Hudzik is Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's point person for building a river-walk along the sometimes-forgotten Chicago River. Her responsibilities include efforts to improve water quality, increase public access, protect wildlife habitat, and enhance neighborhood life along the Chicago River."
Read the full story: On the Riverfront
The Strong, Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge Awards $90 Million
Six regions have been selected for funding as part of the Strong, Prosperous and Resilient Communities Challenge, or SPARCC. A local news outlet reports on the potential benefits of the program for Atlanta.
Rebuilding Civic Spaces: Going Small To Get Big Results
A $40 million investment is being split between four cities—Memphis, Chicago, Akron, and Detroit—with the hopes of making big impacts for the community by revitalizing and/or repurposing exiting civic spaces.
Homeowners Are Going Underwater Again
The narrative about the full recovery of the real estate market from the housing market crash of 2008 is only true in some parts of the country. In fact, an increasing number of homeowners owe more than their homes are worth.
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.
In Texas, data centers are swallowing promised parkland
Residents who moved to Taylor, Texas for a rural community now have to contend with three data centers in their backyard.
How a Chicago-sized wind farm beat the odds and powered on
The project spanned five presidential administrations and a standoff with a U.S. military base.
MTA gives itself 30 days to transform pit into basketball court
The site has been under construction since 2022; the city originally estimated it would finish the court in 2024.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority