Community / Economic Development
What's the Value of Bicycling? $1.5 Billion, in Wisconsin
A new study by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that bicycling contributes $1.5 billion to Wisconsin's economy every year.
Rural States See Housing Rebound
While the recession has affected the housing market across the country, the few state that are showing signs of recovery are mostly rural.
Tensions in Condo Complexes Over Foreclosures, Neglect
Reporter Dan Fitzpatrick goes to Florida, where slow foreclosures are making cranky neighbors who are footing the bill for the upkeep.
Reacting, Not Planning, in L.A.
Recently released plans for a possible new football stadium in downtown L.A. show how the city tends to react to developers rather than guide them, according to this criticism.
Dallas YIMBYs Welcome Homeless
The Casa View Haven Neighborhood Association in Far East Dallas is taking the opposite approach from other local groups by welcoming homeless folks to their community and actively giving them support.
Smaller Cities Attracting High Tech
Austin, Texas and Baltimore, Maryland have the right stuff to woo the high-tech industry despite their modest size, says Monique Wassenaar Silverio.
Housing and the Growth of the Sun Belt
Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show big growth in the Sun Belt of the Southwest. This piece from The New York Times looks into why.
Air Hangar Reborn as Waterpark
An air hangar in Germany has been converted into a massive waterpark, which some see as the possible beginning of a trend in adaptive reuse of these types of facilities.
The Allure Of Light Rail Transit
Centering on Denver as the epi-center of light rail development in the U.S., NPR reports on a new wave of light rail and streetcar projects sweeping the nation as cities hope to attract the latest talent and urban development to become "world-class".
A Decade of Growth, But Then the Bust
Nevada was the fastest growing state in the nation over the last ten years, but amid that growth has been a severe economic downturn.
Olympic Village Blasted for Missing Affordable Housing Targets
Housing activists in Vancouver are criticizing the city for only offering a small portion of the Olympic Village built for the 2010 Winter Olympics as affordable housing.
Cities Take Business Approach to Planning
Cities around the world are applying business-style techniques to planning and encouraging economic development.
Turning "Redfields" Into Urban Parks
Jonathan Lerner gives an extensive analysis of the benefits of turning failed commercial properties, or "redfields", into strategically-picked park land for revitalization purposes. Some conversion would be permanent, some just land banking.
Rural Poverty Rising
Poverty is high and rising in rural areas across America. But there are also significant differences in the extent of that poverty, depending on the region.
Hardly a Celebration
With a recent murder, a shootout-turned-suicide, and a high rate of foreclosure, the reality of Celebration, Florida, is less ideal than appearances would suggest.
Considering Bankruptcy in Michigan
The tiny city of Hamtramck, Michigan, is edging closer to bankruptcy, as budget woes grow.
Small-Scale Development in Detroit
Reviving a city like Detroit requires small steps, writes Roberta Brandes Gratz, who looks at block-level projects in the city.
New Governor Moves Into Mixed-Use
California's Governor-elect Jerry Brown will be living part-time in the first modern mixed use project in Sacramento. Jerry's new neighborhood has a WalkScore of 95 and is walkable to the Capitol building.
Book Review: Makeshift Metropolis
In this highly readable volume, Witold Rybczynski makes a fresh argument for rethinking the field of planning. Lynn Vande Stouwe has this review of one of our selections for the Top 10 Urban Planning Books for 2011.
LaHood's Pitch To Florida: Go Forward With HSR
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wrote a major address to the nation in support of high speed rail that appeared in Florida's Orlando Sentinel. Streetsblog notes the significance of that paper in light of events in Wisconsin and Ohio.
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
