Community / Economic Development

Top 10 Cities for Economic Upheaval

Forbes releases its first ever list of "America's Fastest-Changing Cities", documenting the cities that have undergone the most drastic economic shifts.

February 22, 2009 - Forbes

Rethinking Vegas

The Las Vegas Weekly pulls together a panel of the city's leading urban thinkers to discuss the future of development in Las Vegas, now that the downturn has brought many projects to a standstill.

February 21, 2009 - Las Vegas Weekly

Stimulating The Economy- and Greenhouse Gases

In this NPR interview, Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense Fund's transportation director, points to a 12-lane highway that will be built with stimulus funds that he says exacerbates our dependence on foreign oil and global warming.

February 20, 2009 - NPR

$8 Billion for High Speed Rail? How Did That Happen?

What were the inside politics that allowed for the largest investment in high speed rail in the U.S? Politico reports on the Obama-Emanuel workings of the rail investment in the stimulus package - and no, it wasn't based on the LA to Las Vegas route.

February 20, 2009 - Politico

Coney Island Concepts Debated

The Municipal Art Society wants Coney Island to be bigger and more attractive, but the developer says time-share hotels and big boxes are the key the landmark's financial sustainability.

February 19, 2009 - The New York Times

Beverly Hills, Too, Loses Sales Tax Revenue

Drops in tourism and luxury car sales are among the reasons why the ritziest cities in Southern California are not impervious to the recession.

February 19, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Is Rural Internet Worth the Cost?

This piece from NPR looks at the debate over plans to use more than $7 billion from the stimulus plan to expand broadband Internet access in rural areas.

February 19, 2009 - NPR

Woburn Superfund Site Almost Cleaned Up

Its history of pollution dates back to the Civil War, but 25 years after being declared a Superfund site, Woburn's Industri-plex in Massachusetts is just about cleaned up. A retail complex there has opened recently.

February 18, 2009 - The Boston Globe

His Inn Rejected, A Developer Builds Affordable Housing

Matthew Klauer had intended to build a 44-room country inn on the 27-acre plot he purchased in Washington, Connecticut. Rejected by locals, Klauer is changing the plan and building 33 small homes using an affordable housing law.

February 17, 2009 - Governing Magazine

Banks Exacerbating Foreclosure Crisis

Banks and financial institutions are making the foreclosure crisis worse, as lobbying efforts seek to block bankruptcy courts from gaining more power to reduce debt, according to this article from Der Spiegel.

February 17, 2009 - Der Spiegel

Much Investment But Little Progress in Vancouver Slum

More than $1 billion has been invested in a Vancouver slum area, but little improvement can be seen, according to this investigation from The Globe and Mail.

February 17, 2009 - The Globe and Mail

Vegas Aching As Conventions Pull Out

Canceled conventions are causing economic pain in Las Vegas.

February 17, 2009 - The New York Times

Protesters Killed in Battle Over Redevelopment in Korea

Violent activists threw gasoline bombs from the top of a building in Seoul, protesting forced evictions to make way for new development. Police stormed the building, and the resulting fire killed six.

February 16, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

An Inside-Out Mall in Mumbai

The 700,000k sq ft Oberoi Mall in Mumbai is an enclosed shopping center that also meets the street on the outside.

February 15, 2009 - Shopping Centers Today

Arts Banned in Stimulus Bill

Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma pasted an amendment into the stimulus package banning it from funding museums, arts centers, theaters, stadiums, parks, casinos or golf courses. James S. Russell says, 'starving the arts is suicidal.'

February 13, 2009 - Bloomberg.com

Reborn From the Crisis

In this thorough piece from The Atlantic, Richard Florida looks at the economic crisis facing the world, how it's affecting cities and regions, and how it will have a lasting effect on the U.S. -- in both good and bad ways.

February 13, 2009 - The Atlantic

Do You Live in a Miserable City?

The latest Forbes Misery Index sees a number of changes in the roster, with housing bust "ground zero" Stockton California at the "top" of the list.

February 11, 2009 - ABC News

New Deal Legacies Endangered

Buildings and homes built as a product of the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s are being torn down at a rate that some find unsettling.

February 11, 2009 - International Herald Tribune

Plan Brings New Vision To The Two Augustas

A new master plan for the Georgia cities of Augusta and North Augusta looks to create a unified vision for the area geared around economic development and new housing beyond the traditional downtown.

February 11, 2009 - The Augusta Chronicle

The Model Slum

According to Prince Charles, Dharavi, the slum featured in 'Slumdog Millionaire,' should be considered a model for the rest of the developing world.

February 11, 2009 - The Guardian

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.