Community / Economic Development

Los Angeles Could Streamline Temporary Shelters, Permanent Supportive Housing
Los Angeles is exploring multiple angles for sheltering the 34,000 homeless living in the city. Urbanize LA takes a look at two of the city's most recent legislative efforts to develop more supportive housing.
Portland's Jade District Is a Planner's Nightmare (and Dream)
The Jade District on Portland's distant east side is a typical geography of wide streets and sprawl, but is also a relatively complete, self-contained community.

Army Corps: Climate Change Could Devastate Ohio River Region
The agency's report shows that inland-dwellers are just as likely as coastal types to be deeply affected by climate change.
Managing Airbnb: Regulatory Approaches to Short-Term Rentals
Tech ventures like Airbnb have "uberized" the lodging industry. They have also created new challenges for land use planners and government officials. This article provides a sampling of regulatory approaches to short-term rentals.

Housing Growth Stagnates in Boston Suburbs
Boston economists are sounding the alarm: while the city itself is adding plenty of housing, there's not a lot happening in the suburbs. That may adversely affect older folks who want to sell and younger people looking to buy.

Report: NYC Bus System in Crisis
A new report cites decreased ridership and dismal service despite a growing need for more and better routes.
Who Opposes New York's BQX Streetcar? Not Who You Think
Brooklyn and Queens need better transit, but activists say this waterfront "luxury trolley" is not the way to get it.

Trolley System Thrives in Houston Suburb
As ridership soars, the "urban circulator" in the Woodlands Township is getting longer routes and more frequent service.

Detroit's Rebirth: Beyond the Headlines
John Gallagher takes a look at some of the civic factors and organizations that have worked behind the scenes to pull Detroit through.

A Radical Idea to Help the Homeless: Homeowners Should Open Their Doors
The mayor of Oakland is challenging homeowners to offer their extra rooms and in-law units to the homeless, with a target to create a modest 100 new permanent supportive housing units.

'Community Supported Kitchen' Idea Seeking Support in Portland
A crowdfunding campaign recently launched to support a new kind of commissary kitchen in Portland.

Private Equity, Debt, and the Real Causes of the 'Retail Apocalypse'
David Duyen identifies an under-reported culprit in the so-called "retail apocalypse," and challenges policy makers to respond.

Recognizing the Achievements of Black Urbanists
Blogger and planners Pete Saunders is acknowledging black urbanists from all over the spectrum of civic involvement.

Affordable Housing Near Transit: Seattle's REDI Makes Its First Loan
For a city in the middle of a rent crisis, the Tacoma Housing Authority project can't come too soon.

Offshore Wind Lands on Lake Erie
By 2019, a multi-million dollar project developed by a former "big energy" guy might make Cleveland the new U.S. leader in renewable energy.

Friday Funny: Philadelphia Is Very, Very Confident About its Amazon Bid
The lengths to which cities have gone, or will go, in their bids to attract the second headquarters for Amazon has produced a cottage industry of media coverage. Satire from The Onion follows that trail to its most explosive of possible ends.

The 'Deliberately Unkind' Public Art of the High Line
"You could be forgiven for reading the art as a message to less-than-opulent New Yorkers: You’ve lost your place," writes Michael Friedman.

Study: Economic Displacement Is Bad for Transit Ridership
A TriMet transit agency analysis has identified a culprit in the decline of transit ridership in Portland: gentrification and displacement.

Details of Denver's Voter-Approved $937 Million Bond Package
A long list of projects—from roads to projects to libraries and other cultural facilities—will benefit from a $937 million bond initiative approved by voters earlier this month in Denver.

Study: Nonprofits, Ordinary Citizens Played Major Role in Crime Decline
As many wonder whether the nation's multi-decade crime decline will continue, research suggests that community groups and local nonprofits have played a larger role in that story than they're given credit for.
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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