Community / Economic Development

Wynyard Quarter

Code Score: A New Aid for Aligning Policy and Vision With Outcomes

A compendium of benefits of walkable urban places, put together by Hazel Borys and Kaid Benfield.

October 2, 2019 - PlaceShakers

Homelessness

Boulders Meant to Deter Homeless Cause a Ruckus in San Francisco

Desperate times. Desperate measures.

October 1, 2019 - The San Francisco Examiner

Los Angeles Street

L.A.'s Strategy for 'Safe, Mobile, and Sustainable' Streets

Streets LA General Manager Adel Hagekhalil lays out his priorities and plans for transforming Los Angeles into a system of world-class streets.

October 1, 2019 - The Planning Report

Los Angeles River Bike Path

L.A. River Restoration Challenged by Gentrification, Environmental Concerns

A massive effort to restore the Los Angeles River to more public access and open space amentias continues to raise the specter of gentrification in neighborhoods already feeling the pressure of the housing market.

September 30, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Puget Sound

Op-Ed: Seattle Resilience Roadmap Feels 'Retrospective'

Natalie Bicknell notes several deficiencies in the roadmap that resulted from Seattle's participation in the Rockefeller Foundation's now-defunct 100 Resilient Cities program.

September 29, 2019 - The Urbanist

Homeless Living in RVs

Denver Suburb Bans RVs From Parking on Streets Citywide

Lakewood is taking an aggressive approach to homeless people sleeping in cars on public streets.

September 28, 2019 - The Denver Post

Broad Street Bike Lane

Law Prohibiting Bike Lanes Blockers Key to Creating a Liveable City

The city of Rochester, New York, decided to take legal action that ensures the city is as safe for people on bikes as intended.

September 25, 2019 - WXXI News

Electric Pickup Truck Manufacturer Scores Huge 'Climate' Order from Amazon

To show his company's commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2040, Jeff Bezos announced Thursday that Amazon would purchase 100,000 battery-electric delivery vans from Michigan-based Rivian. The trucks will begin service in 2021.

September 23, 2019 - Bloomberg News via Transport Topics

NFL Stadiums

Amazon Moving in at Former Pontiac Silverdome Site

Amazon's move to the Detroit area will bring 1,500 jobs to the region at the location of a demolished NFL stadium.

September 21, 2019 - Crain's Detroit Business

Produce Aisle

Food Deserts Need the Right Kinds of Supermarkets

Research indicates that opening a supermarket in an area that needs it is not enough. The ownership model and relationship to the community are essential to long-term success.

September 21, 2019 - The Conversation

Binoculars Building

Rethinking Supply-Side Approaches to L.A.'s Affordable Housing Crisis

Denny Zane reminds policymakers that local, community-focused decision making truly trumps the 'top-down, one-size-fits-all' legislative approach to housing.

September 18, 2019 - The Planning Report

Cherry Creek

First Steps to Combat Homelessness in Denver Suburbs

Efforts are underway in several Denver suburbs to quantify and respond to growing homelessness.

September 17, 2019 - The Denver Post

Los Angeles City Hall

L.A.'s New Tool for More Efficient City Asset Management

Controller Ron Galperin on his latest announcement proposing the creation of the Los Angeles Municipal Development Corporation, a nonprofit entity that would be tasked with managing city assets in a more strategic way.

September 16, 2019 - The Planning Report

Waterfront

Lessons in Tax Increment Financing

Vermont enabled tax increment financing (TIF) for the city of Burlington in 1985, in keeping with a nationwide trend at the time. TIF is still a major player in the state's redevelopment efforts to this day.

September 15, 2019 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Echo Park

L.A. Unveils Plans for Historic Water Infrastructure Tax

Katy Young Yaroslavsky discusses the the Measure W Implementation Ordinance and the committee appointees tasked with determining how this new funding will flow into community water projects.

September 15, 2019 - The Planning Report

Farmers' Market

Your County May Not be Very Good at Accessing Community Development Funding

New research shows that some U.S. communities are much better than others at attracting grants and financing for community development—even after adjusting for relative need. The numbers are clear, but the reasons for the disparity may not be.

September 15, 2019 - Shelterforce

Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Life and Death of Neighborhood Rebrandings

Surveying the history of neighborhood rebranding in Minneapolis is like taking a tour of post-recession redevelopment.

September 12, 2019 - MinnPost

Downtown Los Angeles

Los Angeles Could Broaden Homeless Sleeping Prohibition to a Quarter of the City

There won't be many places left to sleep for the massive population of homeless living in the city of Los Angeles.

September 11, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Northeast Minneapolis

Planning New 'Cultural Districts' in Minneapolis

Planners are giving shape to one of the potentially controversial aspects of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

September 10, 2019 - MinnPost

Memphis Yellow Line

Multi-Car Owners May Pay Sustainability Fee to Fund Memphis Area Transit

Called a 'sustainability fee' by Mayor Lee Harris of Shelby County, the proposed fee would apply only to households that have three or more registered vehicles, about 17 percent of county residents. The first two vehicles would be exempt.

September 9, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

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.