Community / Economic Development

Lack of Affordable Housing Could Stunt New York's Economic Growth
Concern about the city's supply of affordable housing is one of the key messages from the recent "geography of Jobs" report published by the New York Department of City Planning.

How Setting Makes a Place: A Seattle Retrospective
Chuck Wolfe reflects on his rapidly changing hometown, arguing that Seattle’s signature location and setting—however rearranged by the regrades of the past, Freeway Park, or a pending James Corner-led waterfront remake—remains for all to see.
Anchorage Officials Take on Code Scofflaws After Decade of Inaction
Anchorage officials have started to take a more assertive effort toward the clean up of nuisance buildings and properties that have become magnets for crime and other problems. This is the first clean-up of this scope since 2007.

Chicago Considering a 'Pop-Up' Storefront Program
The new program would allow short-term use of vacant properties, and provide new incubation capabilities to small, start-up businesses.

NYC Planning Director Marissa Lago Touts Regional Planning
Marisa Lago pens in an opinion piece supporting a regional approach to planning, timed for the release of a new "Geography of Jobs" report.
Delivering Food to the Rural Poor with a Rolling Food Bank
Food banks in urban settings have long served communities in urban areas, now mobile food banks can truck food to the poor in sparsely populated counties.

Seeking 'Opportunity Zones' Investments
The city of Louisville is making the most of the Opportunity Zone program in the early stages of the new federal program.

San Francisco Could Zone Out Workplace Cafeterias
Large corporations providing on-site cafeterias are considered a threat to local restaurant business.

Housing Crunch Provokes Debate in Boston Suburb
The city of Waltham, Massachusetts has added over 11,000 jobs since 2010, but only a few hundred homes. Developers see a prime opportunity, but city officials are reticent.

Optimism and Investment, Not 'Managed Decline," for the Rust Belt
Managed decline assumes that struggling cities will continue to struggle indefinitely. Is there a better way to plot neighborhood stabilization?

San Francisco Suburb to Vote on Massive Project to Double Population
Brisbane, a city of about 4,700 on the southern border of San Francisco, will vote on a controversial ballot measure in November to approve or reject a mixed-use development including up to 2,200 residential units on a 660-acre vacant brownfield.

Greening Vacant Lots Improves Depression
According to new reaearch, the power of green space where vacant lots previously stood includes mental health benefits, especially in low-income neighborhoods.

Zoning Didn't Stand a Chance Against the Economy in New York's Garment District
Zoning can only be so effective in holding off market forces, according to this column. New York City seems to have finally learned this lesson in the Garment District, but will it inform decisions in other parts of the city?

Newly Minted St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park Reviewed
The recently revitalized and designated as a National Park St. Louis Gateway Arch National Park is described by park planner Clement Lau.

Environmental Justice Area Expanded to Cover a Third of Pennsylvania's Population
More residents in the state will be protected by environmental regulations enforced by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Friday Fun: Ranking the Ballpark Neighborhoods of Major League Baseball
The Midsummer Classic is over, and the dog days of summer are looming. Not every team has a chance at October baseball, but some still offer a lot to love in the neighborhood outside the ballpark.

Growing in the Gaps
In post-bankruptcy Detroit, planner Maurice Cox and his interdisciplinary team are making vacancy an asset, revitalizing through preservation, and listening to residents who know the city the best.

Canadian Neighborhood Prohibits Kids From Playing Outside
It's been called a 'War on Fun.'

A Map of Resources for Low-Income Philadelphians
The Broke in Philly initiative has created a map aimed at making it easier to access support and services for low-income residents of Philadelphia.

Renderings Show New Soccer Complex in Miami
Did we mention David Beckham is behind the proposal?
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