Social / Demographics
The McMansion as Dorm
In Merced, California, students fill in the large homes chockablock with amenities and left vacant by a high foreclosure rate. Rents often go for under $300 a month.
Return of the "Flophouse"
Neal Peirce says its time to bring back the "rooming house" and other alternative housing options as an alternative to the single-family home.
In Beach Towns, Parking Bans are DIY
It's notoriously difficult to park in Southern California beach cities, but as Tony Barboza reports, not all "no parking" signs are legitimate.
Five Moves to Fix Boston's Housing Problem
In this post, John Keith suggests five methods to help Boston be more affordable to live in, including striking out the city's affordable housing program altogether.
Sustainability and Affordability Don't Always Go Hand in Hand
Op-ed columnist Andrew Ross notes that while some progressive cities are being lauded for sustainable, green design, most American cities struggle to achieve sustainable results that are available to all residents.
Art As Urban Change Agent
Elizabeth Currid-Halkett examins the viability of arts driven urban revitalization and finds that the strongest predictor of success is the nature of the art being produced and exhibited in the neighborhood.
Grim Figures for Areas of Concentrated Poverty
A new Brookings Institution report shows that places of concentrated poverty are getting worse due to unsustained growth nationwide and the suburbanization of poverty. Authors Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube expound on the findings.
As Cities Grow, Their Definitions Get Murky
As the world continues to urbanize and megacities continue to grow, cities are increasingly "unrecognizable," no longer necessarily, say, places of political power. David Pillings repots on this and other issues challenging the traditional city.
Scientists Begin Searching Extraterrestrial Cities
Nate Berg introduces us to a branch of astrophysicists hoping to utilize new telescope technology to locate potential alien cities on distant planets.
Preserving Brooklyn's Industrial Heritage on its Waterfronts
While the rest of the city's waterfronts are to be developed as public promenades, much of Brooklyn wants to retain its previous industrial uses. Liana Grey reports.
GTA V Trailer Satirizes LA Planning And Construction
The new edition of the Grand Theft Auto series will parody LA, including its idiosyncratic planning landscape, which will feature avaricious developers, activist NIMBYs, and a oceanside dwelling starchitect.
Among the Needy, Car Ownership Can be Key to Moving Up
In the last installment of a three-part series on "Buy Here Pay Here" car dealerships, Ken Bensinger reports on the link between car ownership and income among the poor. Historically, legislation for low-income car ownership has been resisted.
Lever House Closes Temporarily To Protect Its Owners From "Adverse Possesion"
In an another nuance of the ownership laws that govern New York's parks and plazas, the modernist masterpiece Lever House will close today to keep its plaza privately public.
Camden Employers Incentivizing Middle-Class Homeownership
Last week, local officials announced that the troubled city's largest employers, including three hospitals and a university, will begin offering incentives to lure workers into buying homes in the area. Geoff Mulvihill reports.
Is Urban Life Overrated?
Drawing from lessons learned by a Seattle-based economic development organization working in Africa, Chuck Wolfe notes that "[s]ometimes, finding a way to keep a meaningful rural existence trumps city life."
It's Not Fertility That Counts
Halloween may mark the world reaching 7 billion. Population author Vanessa Baird looks beyond the number into both fertility and consumption rates, showing why it is a mistake to get caught up with the increase in population rather than consumption.
Supporting One Appalachian City, Grassroots Thinking and Creativity
Natalia Echeverri profiles Asheville, NC, a town that that has transformed itself into a grassroots-oriented, local creative hub. One highlight? A recycled "design-build" studio constructed in 10 weeks.
Seniors Equate Mobility with Life
"Carjacked" author Anne Lutz Fernandez says Time's tearful coverage of the traffic deaths of a 72-year-married Iowa couple fails to recognize the true problem: that Americans are persuaded that driving = living.
For Biking to Flourish, Empower the Community Boards
Tom Angotti believes that community participation and neighborhood-level planning are key to a wider network of bike infrastructure in New York City.
Bane of the Middle Class: Rising Gas Prices
In this Washington Post blog, Brad Plumer writes on a New American Foundation report on rising gas prices and their disproportionate impact on the poor and middle class. Public policies intended to reduce fuel consumption, however, benefit the rich.
Pagination
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
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