A Comprehensive Accounting of Economic and Environmental Performance: Who's in?

For the last several decades, North American cities have used growth as a primary economic engine. Increasingly less dense new growth is subsidized by the more dense core, but requires a growth rate that is not supportable in the long term.

1 minute read

October 15, 2014, 8:00 AM PDT

By Scott Doyon


"Particularly in Sunburnt Cities and Rust Belt Cities, Smart Decline is replacing Smart Growth. Cities face a new imperative of behaving more like businesses, and less like ponzi schemes."

"We’ve been talking about this for awhile in the Why Placemaking Matters series. Taking it to the next step of detail, a City Valuation Study can mimic a mergers and acquisition team to mark to market two cities — one compact, and the other sprawling — to determine several economic, environmental and social measures."

Hazel Borys goes on to detail how that city valuation study might work, and asks for a group-source on who might want to work on making it happen. A photo essay of Mesilla, New Mexico, shows how a modest uptick in urban density can create a notable boost in ROI.

Monday, October 13, 2014 in PlaceShakers

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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