Community / Economic Development
Does Dunkin' Donuts Fit Taco Bell's Curves?
That's the question some members of Santa Barbara's Architectural Board of Review are asking the coffee and donut chain as they pursue their invasion of the Golden State. Dunkin' Donuts is eyeing a Taco Bell site in the city.
Boston Out of the Olympics Game for 2024
After a protracted controversy, the United States Olympic Committee officially terminated the bid for Boston to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Buffalo Shakes Off Some Rust
Buffalo made its fortune in long-gone heavy industries such as steel. Now a new industrial revolution—in renewable energy—is bringing new life to the coldest, northernmost city of the American Rust Belt.
Seattle Tower-Spacing Rules Cause Controversy
To preserve views, zoning rules from 2006 require adequate distance between residential towers of a certain height. As developers chafe against the restriction, residents still worry they'll be left facing a wall.
Op-Ed: Newer Model Density Falls Short of its Promise
The general principle is simple: more density equals lower prices and less environmental impact. But suburbia's imprint is deep, both on cities themselves and on how we expect to inhabit them.
Boston Olympic Plan Includes 8,000 Units of Housing
As it vies to host the 2024 Summer Games, Boston's plan envisions two new permanent neighborhoods built with a mix of public and private investment. The final decision will take place in September.
Poverty Shifts to the Twin Cities Suburbs
A recent report finds that more people are living in poverty in suburban areas than in the more urban areas of the Twin Cities region.
Community is Common Ground for Liberals and Conservatives
Supporters of New Urbanism may live across the political spectrum, but they all want to live in traditional neighborhoods.
California City Looks for Place to Stash Its Weed (Production)
The Northern California city of Arcata has long tolerated the production of California's most second-most-lucrative mood-altering crop. Now, the city is considering an official zoning designation to accommodate marijuana production.
A Simple Approach to Abandoned Buildings Improved Crime in Philadelphia
The city of Philadelphia's Doors and Windows Ordinance applied the Broken Windows Theory to positive results.
Hospital Care Returns to the Communities of South Los Angeles
A $250 million project, eight years in the making, returned inpatient hospital care to the neighborhoods of South Los Angeles.
Learning from the Las Vegas Recovery
The recovery of Las Vegas, hit hard by the Great Recession, resembles the recovery of the rest of the country—uneven and innovative.
iUrbanism
Insightful designers continue to seek a better future for Los Angeles architecture by way of L.A. urbanism.
Portland to Buy Land for Homeless Camp
The city of Portland has allocated funding for the purchase of land reported to be under consideration as the new location of a large homeless camp called Right 2 Dream Too.
Friday Eye Candy: Map Shows Every Job in the United States
Looking for granular illustrations of the details of local economies? Look no further.
Doomed Suburbs
Alana Semuels describes the structural forces that had led Cincinnati's Lincoln Heights neighborhood to the brink of extinction.
West Virginia Communities Respond to a Growing Number of Food Deserts
Communities in West Virginia are organizing and working to fill their needs for healthy, fresh food as grocery stores in the region close.
The Inuit: A View From the Top of the World
A little history on the Inuit of the Circumpolar Region as the kickoff in a blog series by Hazel Borys
Status Report: the Rise of Innovation Districts
Last year, the "innovation district" rose to prominence as a way to describe urban knowledge economy epicenters. This report from Bruce Katz and Brookings describes how the phenomenon continues to evolve.
Stopping Development—How Far Is Too Far?
Fierce business competitors have to step lightly to avoid liability under American antitrust law and 'commercial interference' torts. A recent report takes a comprehensive look at where the line is when it comes to stopping a development project.
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
