Detroit has become our most notorious story of urban collapse. But reporter Matthew Power suggests that we consider the city's official motto: "It shall rise from the ashes."
Power looks at the efforts underway to fix the Motor City, including a new light rail and "right-sizing":
"A new land bank could make use of some of the 42,300 city-owned parcels of land, spurring job development, green space, and urban agriculture. A city without a single national grocery chain has more than 600 community gardens, so why not turn a food desert into an example of food self-sufficiency? Rather than being a cautionary tale of hubris and decay, Detroit could shed the carapace of its history and be a model of sustainability and progress for other postindustrial cities."
Thanks to Scott Dodd
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Detroit and Michigan on the Upswing
It's been 66 years since the Motor City last grew its population. Census data released last month revealed an increase of nearly 2,000 people last year, nearly half the state's population growth.
Detroit Program Would Offer Property Tax Relief to Low-Income Homeowners
The Pay As You Stay program would lower back taxes for qualifying homeowners and help them avoid foreclosure.
Growing in the Gaps
In post-bankruptcy Detroit, planner Maurice Cox and his interdisciplinary team are making vacancy an asset, revitalizing through preservation, and listening to residents who know the city the best.
How Would Project 2025 Affect America’s Transportation System?
Long story short, it would — and not in a good way.
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European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?
California Law Ends Road Widening Mandates
Housing developers will no longer be required to dedicate land to roadway widening, which could significantly reduce the cost of construction and support more housing units.
Exposition Park’s $351.5 Million Transformation
This revitalization will create vital green spaces, improve accessibility, and enhance connections with community, making Exposition Park a central hub for recreation and culture in Los Angeles.
California Secures $360 Million in Federal Funding for Parks, Habitat Restoration, and Clean Transportation
This funding will drive transformative projects across the state, improving access to green spaces, protecting natural ecosystems, and advancing sustainable transportation initiatives.
Herds of Sheep Manage Vegetation Where Powered Mowers Can’t
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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.
Ada County Highway District
Placer County
Mayors' Institute on City Design
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP), the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)
Lehigh Valley Planning Commission
City of Portland, ME
Baton Rouge Area Foundation