Redevelopment

Making the Case for the Redevelopment of Nicollet Mall

Some call it “Minnesota’s Main Street,” but Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis has been the subject of much debate as the city mulls a redevelopment plan for the mall designed by James Corner Field Operations.

April 9, 2014 - MinnPost

Willamette Falls

Can Access to Willamette Falls Spur Urban Renewal?

State and local officials in Oregon have launched a planning process to develop a public access esplanade to Willamette Falls in Oregon City. City planners could center urban renewal plans around what is expected to be a popular tourist destination.

April 8, 2014 - The Oregonian

plaza fountain

A Small City’s Quest for A Walkable Downtown

The city of Yakima, Washington, is exploring ideas to convert two large surface parking lots occupying valuable land in the city’s downtown core into a pedestrian friendly district.

March 13, 2014 - Crosscut.com

Does Downtown San Diego Measure Up as a 'Vibrant Downtown'?

Piggybacking on John Karras's article, "12 Strategies That Will Transform Your City’s Downtown" (posted in Planetizen as "12 Strategies for Revitalizing Downtowns" on 2/26/1014), Bill Adams takes a look at how downtown San Diego measures up.

March 9, 2014 - UrbDeZine.com

Portland Reconsidering its Urban Renewal Districts

The city of Portland is mulling changes to its urban renewal districts—including eliminating the newest of the lot, the Education District near Portland State University.

March 4, 2014 - The Oregonian

Edinburgh

Why Urban History Matters

Chuck Wolfe's recent reconnaissance of Edinburgh provides a foil for his rallying cry: Going forward, let’s not discount the influence of history’s recurring themes in how we redevelop the urban realm.

March 4, 2014 - myurbanist

The Mythical Search for 'Congruity' in the City

In the eighth installment of the Urban Juxtapositions series profiled in Planetizen on January 16, Chuck Wolfe asks if we are using the right language when it comes to densifying urban spaces.

February 1, 2014 - myurbanist

Using Data to Design St. Louis' Redevelopment Efforts

A HUD funded project has provided the city of St. Louis with a fine-grained map of residential real estate conditions across the city. Officials are hopeful the data will better guide the distribution of precious community development dollars.

January 30, 2014 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia Subject of Preservation Battle

Developers are seeking allowances to gut the historic Boyd Theatre in Philadelphia to build an eight-screen movie complex.

January 23, 2014 - PlanPhilly

D.C.'s Neighborhoods are Improved, but Who's Benefiting?

After a decade of phenomenal growth and transformation, a survey of D.C. residents reveals widespread agreement on neighborhood improvement, but also concern that the changes are only benefiting the city's affluent residents.

January 23, 2014 - The Washington Post

Redevelopment Making a Comeback in California?

After unceremoniously dispatching the state’s redevelopment agencies amidst California’s recent fiscal crisis, Governor Jerry Brown has formulated a new scheme for cities to achieve their redevelopment goals, but there's a catch.

January 13, 2014 - California Planning & Development Report

Tools for Revitalizing CA's Cities After Redevelopment

When California's 400 or so redevelopment agencies were shuttered in 2012, cities lost an essential tool for funding affordable housing and economic development. A new white paper from the ULI recommends new tools to stimulate balanced growth.

December 18, 2013 - The Sacramento Bee

What's Holding Up Redevelopment 2.0 in California?

When California shuttered its hundreds of local redevelopment agencies, many believed a new (if smaller) system for funding affordable housing and development in blighted areas would soon follow. Two years later, the state is still waiting.

December 9, 2013 - California Planning & Development Report

Is Downtown Denver Too Popular?

Some of Denver's leaders are sounding the alarm over rising household income levels and the threat to affordable housing. But in an editorial in The Denver Post, Vincent Carroll argues that an exclusive downtown Denver is better than the alternative.

October 25, 2013 - The Denver Post

State Ruling Puts Sacramento's K Street Revitalization Project on Hold

State officials ruled that the City of Sacramento did not meet deadlines for financing the K Street revitalization project, including improperly allocating redevelopment funds. The city disagreed and will sue to overturn the decision.

September 18, 2013 - Sacramento Bee

Portland Streetcar Bike

7 Ways Portland Is Better Than Your City

On a recent trip to Portland, land use attorney Bill Adams couldn't help but make comparisons to redevelopment efforts elsewhere. He found 7 tangible areas in which Portland shines through its copious clouds.

August 1, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

Three Strategies for Refueling Abandoned Gas Stations

Lucas Lindsey explores the rise and fall of gas stations in the U.S. With stations closing across the country, and cities wrestling with how to reclaim them, he looks at some that have found a new life through reuse, redevelopment, or repositioning.

July 28, 2013 - This Big City

LA's Four Epic Planning Mistakes and What They Teach Us

In its history, Los Angeles has made four fateful planning decisions, in the opinion of real estate consultant and developer Michael P. Russell, but much can be learned from these mistakes.

July 6, 2013 - UrbDeZine.com

CEQA Reform Advances in CA Legislature, Likely to Become Law

A bill aimed to 'modernize' California's landmark environmental law passed the state's Senate by a vote of 39-0, and its chances of being signed into law appear strong. A bill to revive redevelopment advanced, but seems destined to be vetoed.

June 7, 2013 - California Planning & Development Report

'Civic San Diego' Provides City with Redevelopment Afterlife

Since the state's 400+ redevelopment agencies were killed in 2012, cities across California have struggled to manage unfinished projects and support development in distressed neighborhoods. Civic San Diego may provides a model for life after death.

May 16, 2013 - Jonathan Nettler

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.

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