Community / Economic Development
How Planning is Preserving Los Angeles' History
Los Angeles is coming of age, and with many cultures inhabiting many waves of development over the course of its settlement, the city's history is deep and rich. Recent articles detail multiple planning efforts aimed at preserving the city's history.
Questioning the Privileges of Tactical Urbanism
Does tactical urbanism too-often benefit the point of view of a privileged population, leaving behind more pressing needs?
Do Old Buildings Contribute to Economic Vitality?
Emily Badger crunches the data on the argument by Jane Jacobs regarding the importance of old buildings to the economic health and quality of life of cities—an opinion described by Badger as "received wisdom among planners and urban theorists."
You Can't Just Throw Money at Community Development
Living Cities set out to lend money to community development financial institutions in five distressed cities but were met with a mountain of challenges. Here are the lessons learned from addressing the lack of "capital absorption capacity."
Multimedia Campaign Hopes Homeowners Will Put Down Roots in New Haven
New Haven recently launched a campaign called RE: New Haven in the hopes of increasing the city’s homeownership rate. Will the incentive-backed, multimedia approach work in increasing residents' stake in the community?
Los Angeles' Promise Zone Treats Schools as Hubs to Strengthen Communities
With the national Promise Zone grant initiative rolling out in Los Angeles, the Youth Policy Institute aims to deploy funds strategically in targeted areas that struggle with poverty.
Suburban Poverty Case Study: Cobb County, Georgia
"We can’t understand what’s working in America’s cities unless we also look at what’s not working in the vast suburbs that surround them," writes Rebecca Burns.
How Planners Can Improve Public Health
Public health was one of the many topics to merge from the American Planning Association's recent national gathering. Here's a look at the proceedings from the conference's Planning Healthy Communities Symposium.
How the Gentrification Narrative Gets it Wrong
A writer points to surprising statistics about Brooklyn—mainly that much of the borough is growing poorer as real estate prices fall—to make a point about how the common gentrification narrative fails cities.
Newark's Financial Trouble Inviting Comparisons to Detroit
Beset by a large budget deficit and overwhelming poverty, Newark's local government services director has warned that the city might require state supervision.
Friday Funday: Turning a City Street into a Giant Waterslide
Artist Luke Jerram recently installed a 300-foot waterslide on Park Street in Bristol, UK. The "Park and Slide" event was massively attended and wildly popular.
Urban America's 'Reconnaissance Mission for Progressive Politics'
Recent commenters have described cities as the locus for a new type of liberalism that benefits a broader swath of demographics. Dissenters wonder whether certain progressive cities, enabled by privilege, are merely drivers of inequality.
Ranking the Best City Brands
"The inaugural Guardian Cities brand barometer ranks world cities on everything from transport and weather to crime and social 'buzz.'" Guardian Cities released a trio of posts in connection with the rankings.
Do We Need Affordable Housing or Affordable Living?
Two primary strategies will help to achieve affordable living: Reduce household transportation costs and support smaller living spaces.
Let Your Freak Flag Fly
In the celebratory spirit of Cinco de Mayo, Scott Doyon invites you to let your freak flag fly.
Toyota's Move from Torrance to Texas: California's Wake-Up Call?*
Toyota's April 30th announcement that it would take its headquarters from Torrance to Plano, Texas is proof-positive that California's high regulatory, high tax, and high cost of living environment is unfriendly to business. Or is it?
APA Poll Finds Millennials and Boomers 'Investing in Place'
During the American Planning Association's (APA) 2014 National Planning Conference in Atlanta, the APA announced findings from a national opinion survey that shows a clear interest in place-making among the concerns of Americans of all ages.
Report: Beware the 'Race to the Bottom' of Film Tax Credits
The California Legislative Analyst's Office released a report, "Film and Television Production: Overview of Motion Picture Industry and State Tax Credits," which recommends caution by lawmakers considering an extension of the state's tax credit.
Is the Sharing Economy Succeeding Because the Real Economy is Struggling?
Money, not trust, is the driving force behind the willingness of so many people to open their doors to the sharing economy, according to one writer.
The Texas Miracle: Looking Beyond the Impressive Growth Numbers
Texas is booming—its growth in people and jobs puts it in a league of its own. But another set of growth data pales by comparison: Infrastructure, particularly in the water and transportation needed to accommodate the growth, is woefully lacking.
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
