Community / Economic Development
Building Neighborhoods Through Grocery Stores
To survive, neighborhoods need to be commercially viable. A group called the Food Trust believes grocery stores are a good starting point for creating that economic climate.
Livable Cities and Political Choices
People need to stop thinking about cities as bundles of technical problems that the planners must solve for them and to start thinking about the different ways that they would live in different types of cities, says Charles Siegel.
China's Grand High Speed Rail Plans
China has plans not only to expand its own network of high speed trains, but to build the trains for the rest of the world. They are already giving Japan and Europe a run for their money. Not bad considering their first HSR line opened in 2008.
Breaking Down the Walls in Jerusalem
Deputy Mayor Naomi Tsur of Jerusalem is proposing that the city must 'emerge from its [many] walls', and connect and enhance its vibrant public spaces.
The City That Avoided Gentrification
Howard Ahmanson poses the idea that Los Angeles might be the least gentrified city in the U.S., with a history of white flight south and immigrants improving their own neighborhoods and holding on to them.
Privatized Transit: Who Profits?
Yonah Freemark argues that encouraging developers to build their own transit (as Christopher Leinberger recently argued) could be highly problematic.
Abu Dhabi Uneasy About its Role in New Movie
The new "Sex and the City" movie was set -- but not shot -- in Abu Dhabi. Now officials there are trying to decide whether or not to release the film to local audiences, as the city tries to control its brand and image.
Small Efforts in Fight Against Cincinnati Food Deserts
A major grocer in Ohio is trying to keep some of its smaller stores open in areas that would otherwise be food deserts. But profits are hard to come by, and stores continue to move out of town.
Best Cities to Get Laid... Off
These 10 American cities top the nation as being home to the most layoffs. California is a hotbed.
City Going Broke Maintaining Public Spaces
The City of Walnut, California says it is shelling out $300,000 a year to light streets and maintain public parks and plazas. The property tax assessment that is supposed to pay for maintainance hasn't been increased since the 1990s.
Building Boom In Land Of Foreclosures
It seems inconceivable - building new homes next to new, vacant homes, but with depressed prices for land and labor a new market for home-buyers who missed out on foreclosure sales has developed in states hit worst by the housing crisis.
Creative Reuse Nets Local Food
What can you do with an old crane factory? Turn it into a fish farm, and a hydroponic produce operation.
Working From Home: An Urban Planning Revolution
A piece in The Atlantic argues that telecommuting trends could have significant impacts on the built environment.
Trying to Fit In With the Cool Kids
This post from The Urbanophile explores the world of city branding, and argues that some cities are making the mistake of ignoring their own assets and focusing on trying to embrace the successful assets of others.
A Report from Main Street, O.K.
The National Main Street Conference was in Oklahoma City last week. Bob Phipps, a retail consultant, talks about what he got out of the event.
Schwarzenegger Loots Redevelopment Agencies
A Sacramento State Court gave the Governor permission to redirect money from local redevelopment agency funds to prop up local education.
City And Business House Homeless
San Antonio, Texas, is partnering with business and nonprofit groups on a project aimed at curbing homelessness.
Exciting Things Happening in Medellín
Medellín, Colombia is better known for drug kingpins than architects, but a boom in exciting contemporary architecture with a humanitarian approach has both planners and designers flocking to the city.
Richard Florida and The Great Reset
The Urbanophile reviews Richard Florida's new book, defending his populist approach and tackling Florida's central arguments of investing in the grassroots, encouraging "rentership" and the fundamental societal changes coming soon.
The Infrastructural Benefit of South Africa's World Cup
Next month's World Cup in South Africa will bring a lot of attention to the country, and a lot of opportunity. Though many hope the country will see an economic benefit, the biggest impact is likely to be the creation of urban infrastructure.
Pagination
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