Community / Economic Development

Green Bike Lane

Anti-Displacement Efforts and Green Infrastructure Signal Hope in Portland

The Living Cully coalition prioritizes the well-being of long term, lower-income residents with future-building revitalization projects.

July 19, 2019 - Next City

Homeless Cars

A 'Safe' Parking Lot for the Homeless Proposed in San Francisco

If approved, a new facility in San Francisco will allow homeless people living in RVs and vans a safe place to park. Access to support services will also be available at the site.

July 17, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Philadelphia, Pennsyvlania

Study: Not All Gentrification Effects Are Equal

A comprehensive national study finds that for many original residents of gentrifying neighborhoods, the effects of gentrification can have positive effects.

July 17, 2019 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Co-Working Office

A Tipping Point in the Geography of the Creative Class?

The geography of talent is changing. Richard Florida takes a closer look at where the creative class is moving as a result of the housing affordability crisis in many of the largest and most famous cities in the country.

July 16, 2019 - CityLab

Homelessness

Houston Gets a Handle on Homelessness While Dallas Struggles

Formerly playing host to almost double the homeless population of Dallas, Houston has addressed the problem with some success over the past decade. Meanwhile, rising costs have fueled a growing crisis in Dallas.

July 15, 2019 - The Texas Tribune

Sprawl

Op-Ed: Lakewood's Growth Cap Is 'Climate Arson'

In a scathing response to arguments in favor of a "slow growth" ordinance in Lakewood, Colorado, Mike Eliason rebukes the idea that capping growth is a green policy.

July 15, 2019 - Medium

Rural Community

On Rural America's Selective Housing Shortage

Counter to the usual narrative of population decline, some rural areas stand in serious need of housing.

July 13, 2019 - The Christian Science Monitor

Lost Our Home

The Four Kinds of Housing that Help the Homeless

Projects to add housing resources to help give homeless people a roof over the head have run into all sorts of public opposition—often times fueled by ignorance of how different kinds of homeless housing options work.

July 11, 2019 - Voice of San Diego

North Dakota

What's Driving the Fastest Growing Land Values in the Upper Midwest?

Fargo-Moorhead, the metropolitan statistical area straddling North Dakota and Minnesota, has seen the quickest growth in land value in the Upper Midwest for the span of years between 2012 and 2017.

July 11, 2019 - MinnPost

Centennial Yards

Court Ruling Clears $1.9 Billion in Public Money for Atlanta Mega-Project

A $5 billion redevelopment project in Atlanta, named Centennial Yards, will receive substantial public support.

July 9, 2019 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Caffeine

Chicago Coffee Shops Breaking Social and Economic Ground on the South Side

Cafes on the city's South Side are more than just businesses. They also provide important spaces for community building and economic development in neighborhoods that have been historically overlooked.

July 8, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Open-Air Malls

Game-Changing, Open-Air 'Lifestyle Center' Turns 20 in Columbus

After 20 years, the Easton Town Center in Northeast Columbus, Ohio draws nearly 30 million visitors a year and sells more than $1 billion in food and merchandise.

July 8, 2019 - The Columbus Dispatch

Campanile

Land Grant Universities and the Community

Land grant universities are, by design, tasked with benefitting the communities in which they are located. The recent track record on that mission is mixed, according to a recent book on the subject.

July 4, 2019 - Governing

Fast Food Restaurant

McDonald's: Where the Nation Feels Welcome

McDonald's takes a lot of heat for the quality of the food, but most Americans still associate the fast food giant's restaurants, and others like it, with family, community, and good times.

July 4, 2019 - CityLab

Rural Nursing Homes Closing at Rapid Rates

Nursing homes are closing in large numbers in rural communities as a result of a confluence of market pressures.

July 3, 2019 - MPR News

Zurich

The Problem With All Those 'Livability' Rankings

Why is it that smallish cities in western Europe always score so well? Perhaps the underlying assumptions behind ostensibly data-driven "livability" rankings cater to a certain audience and leave most of us out.

July 3, 2019 - CityLab

Hotel Alexandra

Why Are These Prime Boston Properties Sitting Vacant?

Even though they often occupy valuable real estate, some Boston properties have sat vacant in various states of limbo for years.

July 2, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Americans With Disabilities Act

Study Measures 150 Miles of Informal Footpaths in Detroit, Explores Their Larger Importance

A new study by researchers at Illinois State University and the University of Michigan measured the informal footpaths—also known as "desire lines"—of Detroit.

July 2, 2019 - Landscape And Urban Planning

Flood Damaged Suburb

More Detail on What Happened to 100 Resilient Cities

The Rockefeller Foundation has cited costs and a new strategic direction to explain why it abruptly cut off the program this year. While the work may live on in some form, the move underscores the risks of relying on private funding.

July 2, 2019 - CityLab

Los Angeles Medical Center

Kaiser Permanente to Construct Highrise Headquarters in Oakland

Following Salesforce's lead, the healthcare giant will relocate to a high-rise urban headquarters, transitioning out of seven locations it currently occupies in the East Bay.

July 1, 2019 - The San Francisco Chronicle

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.