The most ingredient for a successul city is a vibrant "creative class."
"Our research shows that a new productive force is driving a group of cities. For these cities, the most important factor affecting their growth is the size of what Carnegie Mellon University professor Richard Florida calls the "creative class... Cities still grow by adding houses and hotels. But it's the people inside those buildings and their work that determine how fast these cities expand and how rich they become. Education is important, but not the most important ingredient for these fast-growing cities. Cities are being shaped by people who create, who produce new ideas."
Thanks to Mike Agnew
Read the full story: Cities of Ideas: Prosperity and its price
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
Trump is considering data centers on 6 states' public land — some state officials say they had no idea
If the administration approves the proposed projects, data center and data center-related developments will cover 17,600 acres of public land.
California may destroy its beaches trying to save homes from El Niño
Boulders and seawalls can protect homes from waves, but ultimately destroy sandy beaches.
California high-speed rail accomplishes only one legislative goal in 2026
The majority of the agency's failed pitches were never developed into written proposals.
Sharp cuts to federal passenger rail, public transit funding arrive today
The American Public Transportation Associations estimates the stopgap bill will result in an over 80% cut to federal passenger rail investment and 20% cut to public transit investment.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello