Main Street
The One About the Parking-Pinched Merchant…
Small business owners who drive themselves nuts arguing against the reuse of on-street parking with other balanced transportation solutions is a shame because there is so much good data to prove it's actually very good for business.
Creative Corridor Plan Puts Little Rock on the Urban Design Map
Lindsey Millar reports on a proposed Creative Corridor plan for Little Rock, calling it “vivid and grandiose, full of all the sorts of things New Urbanists salivate over - a pedestrian promenade, rain gardens, street furniture, [and] LED lighting.."
As the Enclosed Mall Era Fades, Learning Lessons, Both Bad and Good
For all the bad press that the traditional enclosed mall receives today from planners, there are certainly retail strategies they excelled at that will be pertinent long into the future, argues Geoff Dyer.
A Bike Lane Blunder in Los Angeles
In a city known for its film industry, bike-friendly weather, and historic downtown, an editorial in the Los Angeles Times asks why they all can't just get along.
WalMart/Big Box Subsidies Don't Work, Says New Study
When governments use public money to woo national chains, economic growth and job creation aren't worth the cost, says Stacy Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Independent retailers also suffer.
Main Street Revitalization Efforts Turn a Corner
Having lured its first major retailer on Main Street, revitalization efforts in Columbia, South Carolina's urban corridor seem to be finally paying off.
"Buy Local" Campaigns Making a Difference
A national survey of independent businesses found that those in communities with an active "buy local" campaign experienced significantly stronger revenue growth in 2010 compared to those located in areas without one.
Somewhere Between Blight and Gentrification...
Is there a happy medium between the run-down liquor store and the gourmet shop? What is the best form of Main Street retail, as people move back to the city and re-emergent neighborhoods acquire shops and services that were once lacking?
Following the Path of the Meltdown
A new documentary tracks the meltdown of Wall Street and its impact on housing throughout the country. The New York Times offers this review.
Downtowns Not the Economic Engines They Used to Be
Downtowns used to serve primarily as the economic and job hub of a community, but are shifting to be more focused on providing a entertainment center and civic forum.
Main Street Beating the Odds
Niles, Michigan has managed to build jobs and add businesses to its Main Street over the past five years. How did they do it? Wayne Senville of the Planning Commissioners Journal stopped by on his tour around the U.S.A.
WalMart Goes NIMBY Against Town Center Plans
The town of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, has grand plans for a new, pedestrian-oriented downtown, but making this idea reality involves getting rid of one large and vocal neighbor: WalMart.
Revitalizing Main Street, One Store at a Time
More retail, joining residential and office developments, is seen as the crucial linchpin in the ongoing revitalization of Columbia, SC's Main Street.
Main Street Thriving in Utah
Midvale used to be the heart of Utah's mining industry. After an economic slump, downtown Midvale has come back thanks to small businesses and a new influx of immigrants.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
