Jason Kambitsis speaks with Bruce Katz, the founding director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, about his advocacy for taking a fundamentally different approach to urban development based on economic diversification.
While many might quibble with Katz's argument that cities have done well enough in providing the physical spaces necessary for well functioning cities, he makes a provocative argument for urban development based on the transformation of economic environments, rather than physical ones.
Eluding to examples of cities building their economies on a foundation of innovation and production, including New York, Northeast Ohio, and Seattle, Katz argues for the need for cities to move "away from the service and real estate sectors and...look toward the tradable economy for sustained growth."
According to Katz, the implications for planners and designers are profound. "Economy shaping is going require a new kind of placemaking...You can't just focus on housing and transit in the core of a city, you need to focus on the physical needs of manufacturing, development and the needs that go along with them. That will clearly have a huge effect not only on the city but regional level."
FULL STORY: Bruce Katz: Better Economic Structure Will Save the City
For Uber, Lawsuits in Seattle and New York Drag On
The transportation network company is facing an ongoing legal battle over its drivers’ right to unionize in Seattle and an antitrust lawsuit in New York.
If Housing Affordability Is Top Concern, Let Metro Regions Sprawl
Research from BuildZoom, a San Francisco-based contractors' website, shows that housing affordability increases with a region's ability to build outwards, as opposed to upwards. Densification largely has not accompanied efforts to curb sprawl.
Alta Bicycle Share Changes its Name
Alta Bicycle Share is now known as Motivate. So let it be written. So let it be done.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
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Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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ULI Northwest Arkansas
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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.
