Community / Economic Development

Times Square New York

Urban and Suburban Lifestyles More Similar Than Thought, Study Says

The differences in the ways people who live in the city spend their time versus the way people who live in suburbs spend their time are few and small.

November 5, 2019 - CityLab

Food Carts

Unleashing the Food Vendors in New York

Newly proposed legislation in the New York State Senate would bar cities from setting limits on the number of food vendors operating in the public realm.

November 5, 2019 - New York Post

Detroit, Michigan

Detroit, 'Comeback City'

Despite the massive improvements Detroit has made both in public perception, it still has a long way to go to in overcoming misperceptions associated with its decades of struggles.

November 4, 2019 - Detroit Free Press

Two New Community Land Trusts for Ventura County

Ventura County, Located to the north and west of Los Angeles County, will soon have its first two community land trusts.

November 1, 2019 - Ventura County Star

Affordable Rental Housing

Distinguishing the Housing Shortage from Gentrification

Gentrification "mutates particular neighborhoods" while scarce housing "squeezes entire regions," Devin Michelle Bunten writes. Conflating the two can lead to inaccuracies in understanding.

November 1, 2019 - CityLab

West Sacramento Bridge District

Tax Increment Financing, Explained

CityLab University explains a controversial and misunderstood funding mechanism.

October 31, 2019 - CityLab

Lower Manhattan and the Hudson River

Mapping the Geography of Jobs and Around New York City

The geography of work in New York City must include an analysis of the larger region, according to a new report from the New York City Department of City Planning.

October 31, 2019 - NYC Planning

Street Vendors

Food Cart Vendors Struggle to Keep a Foothold Around Philly Development

Food cart vendors are fighting for their livelihood in a neighborhood in Philadelphia, against the long legislative reach of a local developer.

October 30, 2019 - WHYY

Senior Mobility

Report: Urban Planning and Design Neglecting the Needs of Seniors

Many cities aren't planning and designing for their aging residents, despite a world full of examples to model from, according to a new report from the Milliken Institute.

October 30, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Baltimore Vacancy

Demolitions Can't Keep Pace With Vacancies in Baltimore

As the city of Baltimore grapples with a declining population, it faces obstinate challenges in controlling the problems associated with vacant buildings, including the "vicious cycle" of vacancies causing more vacancies.

October 29, 2019 - The Washington Post

City Hall

Cities Report Declining Revenues

The annual "City Fiscal Conditions" report by the National League of Cities delivers a warning signal about the state of the economy.

October 29, 2019 - Route Fifty

Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge

Mapping Scientology's Expanding Footprint in Clearwater, Florida

The Tampa Bay Times has published the results of an ambitious investigation, complete with an interactive feature that documents the rise of the Church of Scientology as the predominant landowner in Clearwater, Florida.

October 28, 2019 - Tampa Bay Times

Art for Economic Development in Rural Communities

The most recent of funding for Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) design workshops includes an example of an arts center in Maine.

October 28, 2019 - Mainebiz

San Diego, California

A Systematic Approach to Homelessness in San Diego

The city of San Diego is ready to action to house the homeless people living on city streets.

October 27, 2019 - Voice of San Diego

Railyards District

Sacramento Gaining an MLS Team, a New Stadium, and a Big Mixed-Use Development

Sacramento Republic FC will have a new home in Sacramento's Railyard District, expected for completion by 2022.

October 25, 2019 - The Sacramento Bee

Basket Building

New Life for the Longaberger Basket as a Luxury Hotel

A completely singular example of adaptive reuse could be delivered a gift basket in Newark, Ohio.

October 25, 2019 - New York Post

Open Streets

Engaging, Then Planning, for Equity

The interdisciplinary work of the Kounkuey Design Initiative, led by executive director Chelina Odbert, and deeply committed to the homegrown potential of neighborhoods and communities.

October 24, 2019 - James Brasuell

Cleveland

Equity Planning for the 21st Century

The 20th century roots of equity planning, born in Cleveland, are evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Portland provides a case study of that evolution.

October 24, 2019 - Shareable

California

U.S. Air Quality Declining, Taking Lives

Particulate matter air pollution has been on the rise since 2017, according to new research. Wildfires, economic activity, and lax regulation are potentially to blame.

October 22, 2019 - Bloomberg

No Pictures

Life on the 'Nation's Most Photographed Street'

Acorn Street in Boston has been described as the nation's most photographed street, and now residents who live on the private way are pushing for controls on the number of people visiting the narrow, cobblestone street.

October 20, 2019 - The Boston Globe

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.