Rhode Island

Helping Municipalities Manage 'Lazy' Real Estate Assets

A new tech startup, incubated at Harvard University, assists municipalities in unlocking the potential of their fallow, or "lazy," real estate assets.

August 7, 2014 - New York Times

A Bad Year for State Transportation Funding

Compared to 2013, few states are increasing transportation spending through tax increases. Only New Hampshire and Rhode Island saw limited gas tax increases, though both were accompanied by road or bridge toll eliminations. Missouri could be next.

June 27, 2014 - Governing

Rhode Island's 'Blue State' Policies Criticized

Aaron M. Renn has written a scathing review of the state of affairs in Rhode Island, which he describes as a result of decades of unfettered "blue state" policies.

June 10, 2014 - City Journal

How Much Carbon Will Your State Cut under the EPA's New Rule?

A state-by-state breakdown of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed carbon reduction rule reveals that some states will have to go far beyond the 30 percent goals for the country overall.

June 5, 2014 - Governing

Debating Providence's Streetcar Plans

As Providence, Rhode Island gears up for its second attempt at TIGER funds to help pay for its proposed streetcar line, a local reporter makes a sometimes surprising case against the plan.

May 15, 2014 - GoLocalProv

Report Compares Property Taxes Around the Country

Calling the property tax, "probably the most controversial tax in the United States," the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence have released the "50-State Property Tax Comparison Study" for 2013.

May 1, 2014 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Main Street

Making the Case for Downtowns: Tax Revenue

Joe Minicozzi of Urban3 recently got national media attention from Forbes. The article describes Minicozzi as a kind of evangelist, making a strong, rational case for cities of all sizes to invest in their downtowns instead of big box retail.

March 18, 2014 - Forbes - BrandVoice

Wisconsin Struggles with Interstate Tolling Option

State transportation leaders are scrambling to increase funding as MAP-21 draws to its expiration on Oct. 1. Interstate tolling is being eyed by more than a few. While the Wisconsin Assembly likes the idea, Gov. Scott Walker rejects it.

March 10, 2014 - Stateline

Providence Proposes Comprehensive Zoning Code Update

The city of Providence has announced the first draft of a comprehensive zoning code update—its first since 1994.

March 5, 2014 - The Providence Journal

Fast Food Restaurants

A McDonald’s Case Study for Land Use Policies in Providence

James Kennedy examines a proposed development of a McDonald’s and a Family Dollar store in Providence, Rhode Island, for lessons about the city’s land use policies.

February 27, 2014 - ecoRI

Developers Bet that Micro Apartments Will Work in Smaller Cities

The relatively low cost of micro apartments in high rent cities such as N.Y. and San Francisco makes them a feasible alternative for singles, but will they attract millennials in smaller, lower-rent cities like Providence, Cleveland and Worcester?

December 26, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

Public Art on the Cheap: Providence's Custom Metal Trashcans

In Providence, Rhode Island, local craftsmen are turning trashcans into art. The metal bins are custom-worked with designs celebrating local businesses and more general themes.

December 24, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

photo of abandoned buildings in Broves, France

What Is a Place Without the People?

In an illustrated essay, Chuck Wolfe contrasts the ideal form of the New England town with an abandoned French village, calling out the human infrastructure essential to successful urban places.

October 8, 2013 - myurbanist

Providence Plans Pedestrian Oasis for Downtown

Utilizing a series of compelling before and after renderings, Amanda Gruen walks through Union Studio Architects' plan to improve the pedestrian and transit experience in downtown Providence's Kennedy Plaza.

May 24, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper Blog

Smart States Support Their Economies with Preservation Incentives

As central cities become prized by young professionals and the companies that want to lure them, it behooves states to recognize the value of the historic buildings that bring unique character to workplaces and urban environs, writes Kaid Benfield.

April 29, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard Blog

Municipal Bankruptcy Seen as a Strategy, Rather Than a Failure

Looking to get out from under one of the primary factors for financial distress - pension obligations - city leaders across the United States are viewing bankruptcy as "a valuable tool in a city’s financial toolbox," reports Liz Farmer.

March 7, 2013 - Governing

Providence Arcade

America's Oldest Mall Gets a Mixed-Use Makeover

The Providence Arcade, thought to be America's oldest enclosed shopping mall, suffered the same fate as many of its 20th century brethren when it was shuttered in 2008. A developer seeks to revive the building as a mixed-use "micro-loft" complex.

February 21, 2013 - Mother Nature Network

Opening the Atlantic Coast for Offshore Wind Farms

The U.S. Department of the Interior has cleared the way for what could become the first offshore wind projects in the country. Next year, lease sales will be offered on 278,00 acres of land off the coasts of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia.

December 4, 2012 - The Guardian

Mysterious, Unauthorized Stop Signs Found

The town of Cranston, Rhode Island came to the realization that hundreds of stop signs -- almost a third of the stop signs in town -- were not installed by the city. Are these the work of a rogue urban planner?

February 8, 2011 - Lowering the Bar

Redeveloping Industrial Land as Industrial Land

In Providence, Rhode Island, a team of young developers are breathing new life into an old factory complex. But it's not your typical condo conversion.

January 19, 2011 - Metropolis

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.