One of the most interesting things that I have learned in school thus far is the history of the urban renewal program. As a budding urban planner, I have often used the term “urban renewal” interchangeably with “urban revitalization” to describe the process of neighborhood improvement via economic and housing development. Regardless of the term I used, I was very clear that revitalization – or renewal – was a catch-22. The implementation of business and housing developments would jumpstart a neighborhood deemed blighted and consequently, only affluent residents could afford to enjoy the amenities of the revitalized neighborhood.
Urban Revitalization
The Planetizen News Brief
4:30 minutes (4.18 MB)
A weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues, airing every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City". Read, download or listen to this week's News Brief, which looks at Obama's Office of Urban Policy, the regenerative power of shopping centers and the economy's impact on Christmas celebrations.
Phoenix Hopes for Light Rail Revitalization
Phoenix is counting on a new light rail system to revive one of the city's long-ignored commercial corridors when trains start operation at the end of the year.
The Arizona Republic
Bake Sale Revitalization
Elvira's Cakes is a home business that outgrew the kitchen and settled into Kansas City's ailing downtown. The city is looking to small business people like Elvira to breathe new life into Kansas City's struggling districts.
The Kansas City Star
'It's A Little Like Add Water, Instant Neighborhood'
...so says one resident of Atlanta's Inman Park neighborhood, which has gone from deserted industrial buildings to dense, urban community in four years.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Preservation vs. Revitalization in Seattle
Planners in Seattle want to add housing to Little Saigon, a neighborhood with a strong Vietnamese culture, without disrupting the district's character or displacing residents.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Giant Public Sculptures to Transform Ailing Region
Artist Anish Kapoor, creator of the famous "mirrored jellybean" in Chicago's Millennium Park, is creating a new series of massive sculptures for five depressed cities in Yorkshire. Backers hope the art will transform the region.
The Guardian U.K.
The Transformation of a Neighborhood
Steven Malanga writes about the resurrection of Bushwick, a Brooklyn neighborhood, from its decrepit past.
City Journal
Emptying Suburbs Sign of Things to Come
CNN reports on the growing chaos in suburbs emptied by the mortgage crisis, and what they tell us about the future of the American dream.
CNN
Brits Say US Cities Should Look To UK's Successes
Dermot Finch of the Centre for Cities, an independent research group, says that the U.S. could learn a lot from the U.K.'s urban renaissance.
BBC News
Ambitious City Center Plan Moves Forward
Despite the economic downturn, city officials in Spokane Valley, WA move forward with a plan to build something the city has always lacked: a true city center.
Spokane Journal of Business
Waco Debuts Nation's First 'Green' Chamber Building
The Waco Chamber of Commerce is credited with inspiring a renaissance in downtown, developing their new headquarters on a former parking lot. They hope to receive LEED certification - the first U.S. chamber building to receive this designation.
Waco Tribune-Herald
Is Chicago's 'Transformed' Cabrini-Green 'Too Good for Poor People'?
As a part of Chicago's $1.4 billion "Plan for Transformation," the once massive Cabrini-Green project has been redeveloped into a mix of affordable, public and market housing. But 80% of the former tenants have moved away.
GOOD Magazine
Travel and Cars – Fun with Numbers for 2008 -- Steven Polzin
Beijing's Grey Shade of Red -- Josh Stephens
A Semester in Review, New Year Resolutions, Building Blocks and Toy Cars -- Tamika Camille Gauvin
Sweet Spot Density for Livable Neighborhoods -- Diana DeRubertis
A few feet -- Michael Lewyn
- Oregon UGB Expanded
- Canada on Verge of Wind Energy "Breakthrough"
- For Amish, Building Code and Religion Don't Jibe
- Obama Knows Jane Jacobs
- Cities and Cognitive Burnout
- Young, Japanese, and Car-Free
- More Signage, More Business
- Are We Resuscitating a Dinosaur?
- Instant Architecture (Don't Add Water)
- TOD at Hollywood & Western, 10 Years Later
Jan. 25th: Reading/Book Signing of Planetizen's Book for Kids
Planetizen
Jan 07, 2009
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)
Metro
Jan 06, 2009
New Partners for Smart Growth Conference Kicks Off 2009 in the Land of Enchantment
Local Government Commission
Jan 05, 2009
APA Technology Division Elections-Nominations Due Jan. 16th
Technology Division of the American Planning Association
Jan 05, 2009
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