Community Builders
The Value of Partnerships in Community Development
Community partnerships can be an effective way to accomplish shared goals. What are the factors that make some partnerships more effective than others?
Weddings on the Street
Wedding photographers are fond of taking post-nuptial photos on quaint Main Streets, but rarely on the commercial strip. Here's why.
65-Year-Old Disney Cartoon Perfectly Explains the Craziness of Driving a Car
In 1950 the Walt Disney Company released a cartoon called "Motor Mania". Starring Goofy, the film chronicles the metamorphosis of the mild-mannered "Mr. Walker" into the terror of the streets, "Mr. Wheeler". It was ahead of its time.
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."
Get Off the Ground with Community Investing
We're all familiar with the now ubiquitous Kickstarter campaigns, but what about some other tools to help crowdfund local retail and development?
Family-Friendly Downtown Living
What helps make a downtown family friendly? Safe places to play, safe streets, good schools and attainable housing, writes Jennifer Hill.
Roadway Interchange or Celtic Knot?
Pop quiz hotshot: Think you can tell the difference between a roadway interchange and a Celtic Knot?
A Proposal for a New Set of Bike Rules
Most states classify bicycles as "vehicles", and therefore bicyclists as "drivers" of vehicles. Practically what this means is: car rules are bike rules.
Adapt and Reuse: Transforming the Old to the New
Adaptive reuse can help the old become the new, honoring our history and desire for efficiency along the way. This piece highlights 10 examples of adaptive reuse projects from around the west, depicting them in their before and after states.
Road Upkeep in an Era of Diminishing Vehicular Travel
Today, most transportation professionals are aware that the era of inexorable growth in vehicular travel has ended. Yet many state DOTs and local public works departments continue to assume that traffic will grow far into the future.
Examining Commercial and Mixed Use Development Trends in the Rocky Mountain West
Market trends have changed in recent years, but how exactly are they changing? A newly published report examines the commercial and mixed use market landscape in the rocky mountain west, and suggests how to properly capitalize on evolving trends.
Streets Without Trees
Street trees add an interesting dimension to the built environment, providing shade, visual relief and more. They frame the public realm so well that we might be shocked to witness our Main Streets without them. This series of images does just that.
A Brief History of Your Neighborhood
While some contend that our communities are sculpted by an unfettered free market, there are a variety of programs and policies that underwrite the costs of poorly planned development. "A Brief History of Your Neighborhood" examines a few.
Does Reducing Regulations Yield Expanded Housing Options?
Outdated and onerous regulations, particularly those found in zoning ordinances, are affecting the availability of housing choice. What can communities do to expand their hosing stock? C.J. Gabbe explains.
What Is 'Walkability,' Really?
Walkable developments are in demand, but what really makes a community "walkable"? It all boils down to three simple principles—physical access, proximity, and places—says John Lavey.
The United (Watershed) States of America
What if the great adventurer and geographer John Wesley Powell had his way: That as the western states were brought into the union their shape would be dictated by watershed rather than political boundary? This blog - and map - depict this scenario.
City of Yakima
City of Auburn
Baylands Development Inc.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.