Community / Economic Development
Why Sense of Place is Worth Caring About
Edward T. McMahon explores the importance of community character, and why it is one of the key elements to a city’s economic success.
Organizing CicLAvia: An Experience of Public Space in Los Angeles
Days before the American Planning Association's national convention, CicLAvia's Aaron Paley describes the event's origins and evolution and explains how an open streets event in Los Angeles can transform one's sense of public space and the city.
Can Little Tokyo Survive the Growth of Downtown LA?
Big changes loom large over Little Tokyo, Kaid Benfield reports. The question is whether higher land values will steal away its character and cultural significance.
What Will Happen to California's Orphaned Urban Projects?
Terry Pristin looks at the fallout from the dissolution of California's redevelopment agencies and asks what will come of the hundreds of projects in various stages of completion.
Land Abundant Gives Rise to Gardens in Detroit
John Gallagher investigates a growing trend of unsanctioned urban agriculture in Detroit, where residents have had to take alternative land use into their own hands.
Savvy Retail and Restaurant Reuse Mark Next Phase of Dowtown LA Revival
In a feature for The Architect's Newspaper, Marissa Gluck profiles the "retro-chic makeovers" transforming downtown Los Angeles.
America's Most Economically Sustainable Small Communities
Ben Schiller delves into recent rankings that aim to demonstrate how smaller sized counties can achieve sustainable economic impacts.
The Psychology Driving the Great Urban Migration
Nathan Norris explores what planners need to know about the trends driving Generation Y's quest for urban living and America's evolving housing market.
Straight Talk on the Dissolution of California Redevelopment Agencies
A panel of distinguished Angelenos recently discussed the missteps that led to the dissolution of California's redevelopment agencies, the hole that their closure creates, and the possible paths forward.
Philadelphia Poised to Jump on the Elevated Park Bandwagon
Tyler Silvestro reports on the release of new designs for the SEPTA Spur by Studio Bryan Hanes and Urban Engineers, a significant step in realizing Philadelphia's Reading Viaduct revamp.
CicLAvia: A Celebration of the Street, Minus the Roaring Engines
Hillel Aron unravels the long and arduous journey that community activists took to make LA's newest public tradition a reality.
When Does It Make Sense for a City to Downsize?
Roberta Brandes Gratz examines New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward to make the case that even neighborhoods past their prime are worth fighting for.
Making Sustainable Food More Accessible to Less Fortunate Americans
As government funding for programs that make fresh fruits and vegetables available to low-income women and young children get cut, Sarah Parsons asks how to make the sustainable food movement less elitist.
How Does Urban Farming Fit into the Big Picture?
Irmak Turan discusses agriculture's place in the city, as seen by a handful of Brooklyn activists. From stormwater absorption to community ties, these farms provide more than just fresh food for earthy hipsters.
Street Art Seen As a Ticket to Revitalization in Baltimore
Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson reports on Open Walls Baltimore, the city’s first officially sanctioned street art exhibition, which seeks to bring new life to a transitional neighborhood, and presents a dilemma for its curator.
Public Water Works! to Grow Jobs, Protect the Environment
With a $600 billion investment gap facing the tap, citizens, organizations, and elected officials call for a renewed commitment to protect access to safe drinking water on World Water Day at Los Angeles City Hall.
Bringing Dead Space Back to Life in Brooklyn
Sarah Goodyear discovers a project to help Brooklynites reclaim land owned by the city, but long since abandoned, and building neighborhood bonds in the process.
Emanuel Fills In the Details on Massive Chicago Infrastructure Plan
Today, Mayor Rahm Emanuel will sketch out a fuller picture of the ambitious $7 billion public-private plan to upgrade Chicago's transit, schools, and parks, reports John Schwartz.
What Will It Take to Win the Global Competition Between Cities?
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, someone who may know a thing or two about running a successful city, pens an opinion piece examining what it takes to succeed in the global competition for people, visitors, and business.
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
