Universities do more than teach classes; they can help transform economies and elevate cities to greatness. UC San Diego is banking on it.

Last year, UC San Diego announced it was launching a downtown hub that would be an active partner in transforming San Diego into a hub for the innovation economy.
In fact, according to UCSD Extension Dean and sociologist Dr. Mary Walshok, in the 21st century, universities and research institutions are crucial components to making any city great.
At CityAge: Build the Future, Walshok explained that universities can make cities "magnets" for public and private investment. And the research dollars that universities attract make them natural hubs for talent in all different fields, as well as constant sources of experimentation and innovation in a diverse set of industries.
Great cities have to continuously recalibrate, renew, and reinvent themselves in response to ever-changing demographic, technological, economic, and global imperatives … Without a center or centers of intellectual capital that are actively engaged in understanding and helping to navigate the multiple factors shaping regional futures, big cities—like Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, or Portland—cannot become great cities.
In addition to teaching languages, providing executive education, and hosting conventions and festivals, the new UC San Diego Urban will help incubate and scale new businesses in order to strengthen diverse economic clusters and build up an innovation ecosystem.
Dr. Walshok's talk is excerpted in The Planning Report.
FULL STORY: New 'UC San Diego.Urban' Looks To Spur City & University Innovation

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions