After landed No. 10 on MainStreet.com's "America's Dying Cities" list earlier this year, Grand Rapids, Mich., shows the world that the city is anything but. Its citywide rendition of Don McLean's classic gets almost 4 million hits on YouTube to date.
Ari Herzog reports, "Profiled by ABC News, the mayor is one of the featured singing guitar players. Nearly 5,000 volunteers fill the 9-minute video, ranging from police officers and firefighters to marching bands, motorcades, pillow-fighting kids, wedding guests, and a helicopter."
"The greatest music video ever made," tweets Roger Ebert.
Read the full story: Michigan's Viral-Video Placemaking
Grand Rapids Mayor Proposes Garage Conversion Plan
The mayor says allowing homeowners to convert garages to dwelling units could alleviate the city’s housing shortage.
Grand Rapids Passes Zoning Reform Package
The new rules aim to make it easier to build small multifamily housing developments.
Grand Rapids Tests First Rural Autonomous Shuttle
The town launched a five-vehicle fleet aimed at improving mobility for residents in the rural community.
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.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future
Mall and office park redevelopments are a generational opportunity to create new nodes of urbanity.
NYC breaks ground on anti-flooding infrastructure project
New York City's new system will reduce stormwater flows to local sewers by 90%.
One Kentucky town’s secret to affordable housing
The Smoketown Community Land Trust has already built seven affordable homes for community members.
Houston gains petal-shaped cooling infrastructure to make streets more ‘delightful’
The city has installed the pavilions along 15 blocks in Houston.
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
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