Tourism

Des Moines, Iowa

Downtown Des Moines Hopes Boom Will Continue Into 2017

Des Moines' Downtown Chamber of Commerce expects the city's 2016 development boom to continue into the new year.

November 29, 2016 - Des Moines Register

New Orleans

New Orleans Approves Contentious Short-Term Rentals Regulation

Many cities popular with tourists are dealing with the effects of a proliferation of short-term rental properties (brokered through the use of online platforms like Airbnb). New Orleans just took steps to legalize, but limit, short-term rentals.

October 22, 2016 - The Times-Picayune

Lombard Street San Francisco

Crowds of Pedestrians Prompt Lombard Street Study

San Francisco is looking for ways to manage—and protect—the masses of tourists who want to walk "the World's Crookedest Street."

September 22, 2016 - SF Gate

Bus

Friday Funny: Souvenir Photos of Your New York City Bus Ride

A satirical post by ClickHole imagines a world where bus trips are treated like a trip to Disneyland.

August 26, 2016 - Clickhole

Disneyland

Anaheim—Home to Disneyland—Bans All Short-Term Rentals

Reports about the decision by the Anaheim City Council to ban all short-term rentals, through companies like Airbnb or VRBO, described it as a victory for homeowners.

July 12, 2016 - CBS Los Angeles

NYC-crosswalk

Crowded NYC Sidewalks Force Commuters Into the Street

In the 1970s, the fear of getting mugged had some NYC pedestrians walking in the street. Nowadays, commuters are sharing space with cars for a very different reason: the sidewalks are too crowded.

July 7, 2016 - The New York Times

Millennium Park Chicago

Will Chicago Be the Next to Jump on the Sky Gondola?

Chicago's looking for a new tourist attraction, and the sky gondola has made the short list. Private investors have proposed to construct a sky gondola as a tourist attraction crossing over the Chicago River, but will the plan fly?

May 16, 2016 - CityLab

Vehicle Assembly Building Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral in Flux

Caught between the end of the space shuttle and the potential rise of private sector spaceflight, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center present a unique land use challenge.

March 24, 2016 - CityLab

Robert Moses Parkway

What's In a Name? Not Robert Moses

Local officials in the area of Niagara Falls in New York say the name Robert Moses is a detriment to the local tourism industry—so they're removing his name from a local parkway.

March 23, 2016 - Politico New York

Traverse City

Sleepy Resort Towns Becoming Urban Destinations

Around the country, small, rural towns are experiencing the same political conflicts related to land use and planning more commonly associated with the city.

March 9, 2016 - Next City

Dallas Pushing for a Convention Center Upgrade

The age-old competition between cities to attract convention business is getting its latest public debate in Dallas, where stakeholders are preparing a proposal to bring the city's convention center into the modern era.

November 22, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Anaheim, Home to Disneyland, Proving Popular for Short-Term Rentals

Anaheim is struggling to keep up with a glut of houses in residential neighborhoods being used as short-term rentals catering to Disneyland's crowds. The city is profiting, but neighborhoods, perhaps, are not.

November 16, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

When a Summer Resort Town Finds Year-Round Success

Northern Michigan's "premier summer resort town" finds itself embroiled in a heated development controversy, reflecting that town's changing population.

October 19, 2015 - Detroit Free Press

Fisherman's Wharf

Tips for Planners to Design Memorable Tourism Experiences

Tourists' expectations when they travel are becoming increasingly sophisticated, seeking stimulating and meaningful experiences. The new book Gamification in Tourism shares how cities are designing memorable experiences.

October 12, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Controversial Atlantic Coast Pipeline Project Moves Forward

This week Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas submitted permits to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to build a 550-mile natural gas pipeline across three mid-Atlantic states.

September 22, 2015 - WRAL

399 Fremont Street, San Francisco

Observation Decks Don't Sell Well in Hilly San Francisco

Steep views command steep prices in other big cities, but they can't seem to work in San Francisco, where there are plenty of beautiful views available for free.

August 28, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

Rainbow

Make Your City a Treasure Hunt

Do you remember going on a treasure hunt as a child? Treasure hunts are becoming increasingly popular with adults, as well as children. Technology has enabled mobile treasure hunts with cities across the world hosting hunts.

July 10, 2015 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

The World's Largest Ferris Wheel Finds its Footing on Staten Island

The foundation is being laid for the world's largest Ferris wheel on State Island. Will it succeed where so many efforts to bring tourists to the Fifth Borough have failed?

July 9, 2015 - The New York Times

Responsible Tourism

Communities across America are competing for tourist dollars, but what can they do to stand out from the crowd? Ed McMahon shares ten principles to "preserve the goose that lays the golden egg."

June 16, 2015 - Community Builders

Santa Monica

Op-Ed Decries Santa Monica's Airbnb Ban

By exiling short-term renters, the coastal city of Santa Monica shifts its housing burden onto neighboring areas. That burden, according to this op-ed, contradicts the city's sustainability commitment and further limits scarce residential options.

June 8, 2015 - Santa Monica Daily Press

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