People seeking small town, authentic character are moving to the burghs along the Schuylkill River. Now the towns are faced with the challenge of blending the old with the new.
Jason Laughlin reports: "For the first time in years, Bridgeport, which occupies less than a square mile along the Schuylkill, is aiming to be a regional destination. A $130 million project to bring hundreds of residences to a barren waterfront appears to be moving forward as officials tinker with regulations to make the community a better place to live and do business."
"The population is already getting younger, with the median age dropping by three years between 2000 and 2010, according to census data. The challenge facing the town is how to capture the kind of spark that made Conshohocken a business and residential hub while remaining true to itself."
Laughlin notes many of the challenges faced by Bridgeport specifically, as compared to some of the towns nearby that have already attracted the type of investments now on the table in Bridgeport. For instance, home values and income levels are below the county median in Bridgeport, while the crime rate is above it.
FULL STORY: Bridgeport tries to revitalize while preserving tradition
Rethinking Suburban Development: New Trends in Creating Livable Communities
Discover new trends in suburban development focused on creating more livable, sustainable communities for future growth.
Columbia’s Revitalized ‘Loop’ Is a Hub for Local Entrepreneurs
A focus on small businesses is helping a commercial corridor in Columbia, Missouri thrive.
The Natalist Case For Sprawl (And Why It Fails)
Some commentators defend anti-urban government policies such as exclusionary zoning on the basis that homeowning suburbanites have high birth rates. But this doesn't seem to be true in recent decades.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service