Community / Economic Development

Buskers Welcome at Select Sound Transit Stations
A popular program to allow street performers (aka, buskers) into station areas on the Seattle region's Sound Transit system has been expanded.

When Coffee Came to London (Not a Starbuck's Story)
Walkability makes markets! Scott Bernstein tells the Lloyds of London story from the urbanist's perspective.

Mapping Displacement Stories
The Regional Plan Association calls on the power of the contemporary Internet to broadcast stories of displacement from around Greater New York.

A Hurricane's Impact on Houston Commercial Real Estate
Houston's commercial real estate market, including some 72,000 apartment units, has been severely impacted b Hurricane Harvey.
Amazon's Second HQ Poised for Smart Growth
Amazon's second headquarters is huge, and their bias for walkable places says they are going to do it all over again in a new city. However, maybe they should take the high road and not beg for subsidies.
Silicon Valley Looks To Kill The Corner Store
A new startup is either a disruptive technology that will forever change the corner store, or yet another example of Silicon Valley looking to gentrify neighborhoods.

New Poverty and Income Data Reveals a Tale of Two Types of Cities
While the country overall made progress, larger cities are making stronger gains against poverty.

Disregarding Trump, Corporations Adopt Internal Carbon Pricing
A new report from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions reveals that over 1,200 global and domestic companies, recognizing the threat of climate change, are either pricing emissions or considering it.

Report: How Pittsburgh Can Boost Its 'Innovation Economy'
A team of researchers at Brookings suggests ways for Pittsburgh to lock in its status as a hub of the next economy, leaving all talk of the "Rust Belt" behind.

From Buses to Trains, Renewable Diesel Catches On in California
For almost two years, MUNI's diesel-powered buses in San Francisco have run entirely on renewable diesel fuel. Diesel-powered Amtrak trains running from San Jose to Sacramento could be next.

State Budget Delivered Blow to Impoverished Texas Exurbs
Along the Mexican border, Texas "colonias" have often gone without basic infrastructure. Saying it'll cut bureaucracy, Governor Greg Abbott removed funding for a program that helps residents access government services.

Harvey Flooding Unlikely to Depress Houston's Housing Market
Vigorous continued demand for Houston homes left some realtors surprised after the city endured catastrophic flooding. For a lot of new construction, elevated homes may become the norm.

How Overly Restrictive Land Use Regulations Hurt the Nation's Economy
Two economics professors from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley argue that the housing crisis doesn't just affect booming coastal cities. It's a national problem.

Experimental Nordstrom Store Will Have No Clothing for Sale
A California Nordstrom store will stock no clothing for customers to buy. Instead, it will let shoppers try on clothes in a curated environment and order anything they like to be sent to their homes.

China to Ban Gas and Diesel Car Sales to Spur EVs
Electric vehicles (EVs) have a bright future in the world's most populous nation and largest auto market, unlike those powered by oil. That was a ministry chief's message at an auto forum on Saturday.

Rural Areas Embrace the Arts for Economic Development
A burgeoning revitalization model uses the arts as an opportunity to bring in outside money while hiring local.

Amazon's Second HQ Poised for Smart Growth
With a second headquarters, Amazon is poised to expand its preference for walkable places into a new city. However, maybe the company should take the high road and not beg for subsidies.
Innovation District Taking Shape in Downtown Erie
The city of Erie, Pennsylvania, lead by a $4 million grant to Mercyhurst University, is in the process of implementing the Downtown Innovation District.

Polling Residents on the Cleanliness of Their Cities
The happiness and quality of life or residents is often attached to their perception of the cleanliness of their city, according to this article.

How to Improve Charrettes
In participatory planning, there is no planning without several events known as charrettes, which you probably already knew. Less likely to be common knowledge, however, is how charrettes can live up to their promise in the planning process.
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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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