American City & County Magazine picks 6 "crown communities" for 2010, which it says "exhibit the qualities that build strong communities: cooperation, creativity and leadership."
American City & County appears to be singling out projects that are collaborations between government and their communities, such as the Washington Park Stormwater Improvement Project in Downers Grove, Illinois:
"In response to a damaging 2006 storm that produced severe flooding throughout the city, Downers Grove, Ill., commissioned and adopted a comprehensive Watershed Infrastructure Improvement Plan. The plan identified high-risk areas for drainage and flooding, and recommended specific solutions for each problem area. Sixteen high-priority areas were identified, where flooding would result in immediate danger to public health and safety, or complete loss of property value, structural damage and significant basement flooding. The plan recommended that the 16 projects be completed within three years."
Projects in Coral Gables, Florida and Sandy Springs, Georgia were also selected.
FULL STORY: America's Crown Communities 2010
Why Some Affordable Housing Managers Are Running Education Programs
Many housing organizations are finding that educational programs are a logical — and valuable — addition to their offerings.
Expanding the Mission: Community Groups Serving Schools
Some community development organizations have added education to their traditional focus on housing and economic development, looking for ways to support families and children by partnering with local school districts. How is it working?
Millions in Cleanup Funds Granted to Delaware Watershed
The grants revolve around cleanup, accessibility, and governance of the watershed, which spans four states.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association