Economic Development
Millions in Affordable Housing Funds Misspent
Continuing its exposé of California redevelopment agencies, The L.A. Times uncovers that $700 million meant for affordable housing across the state was spent without a single unit being built.
Waterfront Planning in a Shrinking City
What happens when a major retailer pulls out of a waterfront redevelopment project?
The Economic Benefit of Density
Richard Florida says that the economic benefits of 'agglomeration' are seldom given the attention they deserve. A new study by Florida and the Martin Prosperity Institute aims to do just that.
Dear Uncle Sam: Transit Design Really Does Matter
Over the past decade more than $75 billion in public dollars has been invested in rail transit. Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver alone are investing an additional $65 billion to expand their systems and enhance the livability of their communities. The federal government will be asked to play a major role in funding each of those systems. Up until now the federal role in major transit investments has largely avoided the question of how we ought to design our transit systems to be good neighbors and leverage livable communities.
The "Instant Cities" of Industrial China
This year China will add 17 million people to its urban population. To house them, places like Guangzhou and Shanghai are constructing 'instant cities.' Christoph Gielen traveled through these developments, documenting the expansion.
Dispelling the Myths Surrounding China's Growth
Adam Meyer, an architects practicing in Chengdu, scrutinizes some of the myths and projections surrounding China's rapid economic growth which have become so popular in the last half decade.
Mayor Daley, a Retrospective
Mayor Daley's successes in downtown Chicago have attracted attention worldwide, but what about the rest of the city? Greg Hinz and Steven R. Strahler say Daley has fixed downtown but not the city's neighborhoods.
The Rise of the Form-Based Code
There are nearly 300 form-based codes either enacted or in development across North America. New Urban News takes a look at the rising trend.
Residents Get More Say in Redevelopment
A scandal over bonuses and the recession leads to change in project to redevelop Southeast San Diego, but some critics want to see more construction, not just kumbaya.
The Use and Abuse of Multipliers
Planning magazine recently (December 2009) published a story on the benefits of economic impact studies for planners. Most professional planners have run across them at one point or another: they are used to evaluate economic impact and the effectives of various types of programs on job creation. Unfortunately, the article did little to also illuminate the pitfalls and weaknesses of these studies.
Inchvesting in Detroit
$1 will buy you one square inch of a vacant lot in Detroit, and membership in Jerry Paffendorf's club of "inchvestors." It may sound like a scheme, but Paffendorf calls it a way to network, invest in Detroit, and attract entrepreneurs.
Innovations in Healthy Retail Pay Off
Five speakers detail how programs to beautify streetscapes, improve neighborhood retail climates and bring fresh food to urban stores paid off for store owners and community residents alike.
Tough Choices in Pleasantville, NY
Pleasantville, NY may be affluent and amenity-rich, but it isn't immune to the economic downturn. Now some suggest the town should sacrifice character for economic opportunity.
Fun With Research: Higher Fuel Prices Increase Economic Productivity
Last week I posted a blog, “Win-Win Transportation Emission Reduction Strategies: Good News for Copenhagen” which described emission reduction strategies that also help achieve economic and social objectives. I’ve continued doing research on the subject and made some additonal discoveries that I can report on now.
Historic Redevelopment, Economic Preservation?
This Saturday, Nate Berg and I will be taking part in LA 2.0: Refresh, Reinvent, Re-Imagine, an event hosted by GOOD Magazine, Sheridan/Hawkes Collaborative and The Public Studio. The goal is to brainstorm innovative solutions to improve the physical environment of Los Angeles.
New London, Four Years After Kelo
The 2005 Supreme Court decision on Kelo v. New London was a landmark in eminent domain law, paving the way for Pfizer to develop there. Four years later, Pfizer is pulling up stakes.
Hurry Up and Wait
NYC's Mayor Bloomberg oversaw the rezoning of thousands of blocks, yet many of the development projects he envisioned as the key to the city's future success are now stalled or in jeopardy.
Jane Jacobs, Economic Guru?
Jacobs' ideas about urban planning bumped her to the top of her Top Urban Thinkers list, but economists are turning to her other books to rethink local economies.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
