Analysis by The Wall Street Journal shows that even as other sectors of the economy fight their way back from the Great Recession, municipal finances lag far behind.
"Buffeted by steep drops in state aid, rising pension and health-care costs and sluggish property-tax revenue, many urban centers are struggling even several years after the financial crisis," reports Jeannette Neumann.
"In Allentown, Pa., weak property values are starving the city of a primary source of cash. Springfield, Ill., has seen pension costs nearly triple in the past decade. Providence, R.I., raised taxes and fees and cut benefits to offset losses in state aid. Fresno, Calif., has so little available cash that officials worry one unforeseen event could reverse nascent improvements."
"While many cities made conservative choices that protected them during tough times, the overall picture shows signs of fragility."
An accompanying interactive graphic depicts the cities struggling the most.
Read the full story: U.S. Cities Grapple With Finances
Welcome to a New Era of Planning: the APA National Conference Draws a Crowd
The American Planning Association's 2015 National Conference has launched in Seattle, with more attendees than any event since before the recession.
The Uneasy Transition in Post-Recession Seattle
While some have pigeonholed him as anti-business, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is taking the city through the recovery of the economy in a positive but potentially hard-to-swallow way, according to this column.
A Place to Recover from Illness: How Medical Respite Programs Help Unhoused People Heal
For people experiencing homelessness, recuperating after a hospitalization is difficult. Medical respite programs can help. Why aren't they more common?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
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.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority