Community / Economic Development
The Urban-Rural Internet Divide
Access to high-speed Internet makes a huge difference in day-to-day life. The digital divide between urban and rural communities means some rural communities could be left behind.
Skyways Inspire Debate About the Future of Downtown St. Paul
The debate over public safety in Downtown St. Paul is once again focused on the city's skyways. There, concerns about access challenge any possible solutions.
Arkansas Town Without a Downtown Decides to Make One
Leaders of Johnson, Arkansas have decided to upgrade their town by creating an 80-acre, new urbanist-style downtown
Communities Plan for Life After Nuclear Power Plants
Nuclear power plants around the country are shutting down. The communities where nuclear plants have been located for decades will now have to figure out how to rebuild their economies without them.
The Other Side of Anxiety? Realism. And Maybe Hope.
Ben Brown tells us to stop narrowly defining problems.
How L.A.'s Nighttime Park Programming Lowered Crime and Costs
Los Angeles County's Parks after Dark (PAD) program and the city of Los Angeles' Summer Night Lights (SNL) program are proving to save lives, lower crime, and reduce costs, writes L.A. County parks planner Clement Lau.
How State Governments Can Support Urban Revitalization
States have tremendous power to constrict or enable policy at the local level. A new report offer guidance in getting states and localities on the same page for the sake of urban revitalization.
New York Lawmaker Would End New Marketing Nicknames for Neighborhoods
There will be no SoHa (South Harlem), if the state approves new legislation that allows the city to block real estate brokers from assigning new shorthand to neighborhoods in the hopes of boosting real estate listings.
Awarding the Best Ideas for Successful Cities
The Knight Foundation asked: "What’s your best idea to make cities more successful?" When it came time to pick the best ideas, design and planning ideas for places like Wichita, Biloxi, and Akron emerged.
New Web Based Tool Helps to 'Design Your Town'
A new tool produced by the Regional Plan Association, the Orange County Department of Planning, the Pace University Land Use Law Center, and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy offers a starting point for people with big ideas.
Gay Neighborhoods Are Getting More and More Expensive
Trulia has created a "Neighborhood Pride Score" to determine the communities with the largest gay populations. Access to those neighborhoods comes at a high price.
The Silent Expansion of Fiscal Control Boards in the U.S.
The power and process of boards that take control of a city or territory's finances is becoming more generalized, although they affect local democracy, impose austerity measures without controls, and lack mechanisms to evaluate their efficiency.
California Progress Report: GDP Increases While GHGs Fall
California is demonstrating that improving the economy and the environment go hand in hand. A new inventory report from the state's Air Resources Board notes changes in gross domestic product, population, and greenhouse gas emissions since 2000.
A New Government Planned Mega-City Shapes Up Next to Beijing
Planners for the Xiong’an New Area hope to cure the ills of "megacity disease"
Top 5 Retail Shopping Center Trends
As the face of retail continues to evolve, tremendous opportunity exists for out-of-the-box concepts and creative retail strategies.
Report Ranks the World's Leading Cities: Now and in the Future
New York is the most important city in the world, but San Francisco is best positioned for the future, according to AT Kearney's "Global Cities" report.
How Planning Can Help Dogs and Humans Co-Exist
Not everyone is sold on the idea of dogs as "man's best friend," and not everyone is comfortable navigating a public realm where dogs are crowdsourcing their marks. What are planners to do?
USDA Shake-Up, Trump Budget Could Be the Demise of the Office of Rural Development
A shake-up at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will likely impact the delivery of support and programs from the federal government to rural communities.
Artists and Property Owners Sue Atlanta Over Mural Regulations
A federal lawsuit alleges that the city of Atlanta is overstepping its bounds by threatening the removal of murals and other art located on private property.
A Solution for Massive Federal Funding Cuts: Think Hyper-Local
As concern grows over the potential loss of community development and planning funds at the federal level, Indigo Bishop writes to remind us that communities have the networks and resources to make it through periods of scarcity.
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
