Community / Economic Development

Massachusetts Tops California in Emission Reductions
California and Massachusetts use the same name for climate change legislation, Global Warming Solutions Act, and set the same target date for reductions, 2020. Both achieved their targets 2016, but the Bay State had a tougher goal to meet.

Fighting Climate Change With an Income Tax
There's been a lot of talk about the Green New Deal, but not that much is known about it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is promoting it, explained the program on 60 Minutes on January 6.

Birds of Passage: Quantifying Jacobs's Gloom
While the debate continues unabated on the influence of the physical and land use characteristics of a city on crime, a critical aspect is left out: resident transience. Jacobs took notice and feared its negative influence. Was she right?

Meeting the Challenge of Feeding 10 Billion People Sustainably in 2050
With world population to grow by about 2 billion by 2050, and with more people eating higher on the food chain as nations develop economically, can world agriculture reduce its carbon footprint? A new World Resources Institute report shows how.

Master Plan Strives for a 'Seamless' Chattahoochee River for the Atlanta Region
A comprehensive study to revitalize the Atlanta regional waterfront, dubbed the Chattahoochee RiverLands project, is now underway.

Learning the Wrong Lessons From France's Yellow Vest Movement
The widespread Yellow Vests protests, which initially involved hundreds of thousands of protestors in November, are wrongly being interpreted as a movement against carbon taxes and climate action, rather than a revolt against social inequities.

Displacement Controversy Arrives in SeaTac
Controversy surrounds a development deal in the city of SeaTac, after the city made a $15.5 million development deal that could displace a local business community powered by immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Philadelphia Inquirer's New App Sends 'On This Block' Alerts
The HERE app provides new ways to access information about the local arts and architecture scene.

6 Charts to Summarize the 'Retail Apocalypse' in 2018
2018 was more of the same for the demise of retail businesses in the United States.

Critiquing the Notion of Neighborhood Character
Zócalo Public Square Editor Joe Mathews takes aim at the phrase, “We want to protect the character of the community," calling it a lousy argument in normal times and verging on "treasonous" due to climate change and California's housing crisis.

Most Popular Planning Articles of 2018
We crunched the numbers on all the features, blog posts, and news articles we published in 2018 to figure out which made the biggest splash with readers.

British Columbia's Climate Plan Bans Sales of Gas and Diesel Passenger Vehicles by 2040
Ten years ago, British Columbia launched North America's first carbon tax. This month, Premier John Horgan unveiled the long awaited climate plan, CleanBC, that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 2007 levels by 2030.

Year in Review: The APA's Advocacy Work in Washington, D.C.
The APA noted that the 115th Congress was "marked by divisive rhetoric, partisan stalemates, and threats to programs on which local communities rely." At the end of the year, however, it could still celebrate substantial victories.

Population Growth at 80-Year Low
William H. Frey reveals the most important takeaways from the recent population data released by the U.S. Census, and recommends the country focus on caring for an aging population and leveraging immigration for economic growth.

Report: Homelessness on the Rise in the United States, Again
A new federal report finds a few reasons for optimism in a nationwide homeless count, but the numbers of homeless in the United States have grown for the second year in a row.

Chicago Ordinance Focuses on Equitable TOD
Transit-oriented development has ramped up in Chicago, but racial and economic inequities have come along with it. A proposed ordinance would expand TOD zones while also preventing displacement of residents.

Sweeping Building Moratorium Issued in Response to Potential Opportunity Zone Investments
From opportunity zone to 'opportunity-free zone.'

A System For Identifying the Opportunity Zones Most Likely to Deliver on the Triple Bottom Line
Some "Opportunity Zones" will deliver more social end environmental benefits than others.

Food Trucks, Already an Industry Force, Set for More Growth
A new report details the state of the mobile food vending industry and makes predictions for the short-term future.

Google, Apple Expanding Around the Country, Spending Billions Along the Way
Both Apple and Google have announced expansions in recent days that required a ten-figure total to describe.
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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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service