Community / Economic Development

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.

Boulders Meant to Deter Homeless Cause a Ruckus in San Francisco
Desperate times. Desperate measures.

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.

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.

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.

Denver Suburb Bans RVs From Parking on Streets Citywide
Lakewood is taking an aggressive approach to homeless people sleeping in cars on public streets.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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.

First Steps to Combat Homelessness in Denver Suburbs
Efforts are underway in several Denver suburbs to quantify and respond to growing homelessness.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Life and Death of Neighborhood Rebrandings
Surveying the history of neighborhood rebranding in Minneapolis is like taking a tour of post-recession redevelopment.

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.

Planning New 'Cultural Districts' in Minneapolis
Planners are giving shape to one of the potentially controversial aspects of the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

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.
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.
Ada County Highway District
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service