Young activists Emaleigh and Ainé Doley take matters into their own hands to clean up their neighborhood street in run-down Germantown.
With their neighbors losing homes to foreclosure, community activists Emaleigh and Ainé Doley watched as renters moved in--bringing with them "a trifecta of poverty, drugs, and violence."
Inga Saffron reports that the Doleys started "Grow This Block" to combat the decline of their Germantown neighborhood in Philadelphia. Publicized by their own blog and Tweets, the Doley sisters created community events, such as trash pickup, gardening, and low-cost neutering for the rapidly multiplying stray cats.
Urban planner Mike Lydon calls this kind of grassroots action "tactical urbanism." Sometimes, these "tactical" efforts catch the attention of the municipal government, as it did when Miami residents spray-painted weeds to get officials to clean up an abandoned lot. Lydon concedes that, "this kind of approach doesn't replace the need for conventional planning."
FULL STORY: Germantown sisters use tactical urbanism to bolster their block
Gentler Gentrification in Philly's Germantown
Germantown has acquired many more wealthy residents without displacing many of its long-term residents or losing its diversity.
'Jumpstart Germantown' Aims for the Antidote to Gentrification
A new program based in the Germantown neighborhood in Philadelphia aims to encourage community ownership of urban re-investment.
High Hopes for a Renovated Vernon Park in Philadelphia
A once-neglected park is at the center of efforts to breathe new life into Germantown's business district.
America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.
Massachusetts Zoning Reform Law Reaches First Deadline
Cities and towns had until January 31 to submit their draft plans for rezoning areas near transit stations to comply with a new state law.
Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Seattle Historic District Could Remove Street Dining
Despite the popularity of Ballard Avenue’s outdoor dining pergolas, some district board members argue the patios don’t match the district’s historic character.
South L.A. Complete Streets Project Back on Track
First proposed in 2015, the Broadway-Manchester redesign would add bike infrastructure, pedestrian improvements, trees, and other amenities.
Santa Barbara Expands ADU Program to Boost Housing
The city hopes that permitting larger ADUs and making adaptive reuse easier will help it meet its state-mandated goal of building over 8,000 new housing units by 2031.
Ascent Environmental
California Polytechnic State University
City of Albuquerque Planning Department
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Hercules
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
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.
