Community / Economic Development

Community Engagement at L.A. County Parks
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting over 60 public meetings in September to connect with the public and gather input to inform decision-making and resource allocation.

Capturing the Post-Pandemic City: The Power of 'Visual Prosecution'
Have you ever tried immersive photography to show how urban landscapes, with their ever-evolving stories, are changing post-pandemic? A three-time author of books about understanding the innate identities of urban places updates his perspective.

Using GIS to Advance Park Equity and Prioritize Restoration of Degraded Lands
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation uses GIS technology to identify priority areas for land conservation and restoration as part of its 30x30 plan to fight climate change and protect biodiversity.

Utah Oil Shale Extraction Dealt Major Setback
The Surface Transportation Board's approval in 2021 of a proposed 85-mile Uinta Basin Railway in Utah that would have enabled increased extraction of the world's largest source of oil shale was partially vacated by a federal appeals court last month.

Friday Fun: Best Cities for Rooftop Dining and Drinking
Just in time for summer’s last hurrah, a list of cities with a reputation for rooftop entertainment.

New Park Space for an Old City
After 3,400 years, Athens will soon get its first large urban park. When completed in 2030, Ellinikon Metropolitan Park will be 600 acres (243 ha), about three-fourths the size of New York City’s Central Park, an enormous addition of green space.

Historic Victory for Environmental Justice on Chicago’s South Side
The city of Chicago has agreed to take significant steps to remediate decades of discriminatory zoning and land use policies.

Exploring Urban Resurgence
In a wide ranging personal journey of interest to planners and interpreters of the built and natural landscapes, Chuck Wolfe weaves the interplay of the forces behind the everyday, providing fodder for problem solving in our cities and towns.

Supreme Court’s College Admissions Ruling Could Impact Environmental Justice Efforts
If rectifying racial injustice no longer passes constitutional muster, what chance does the environmental justice movement have?

Partnering with Schools to Expand Parks Access
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is partnering with over 560 schools to provide students access to the outdoors, nature education, and recreational programming.

Expanding Schoolyard Greening in California
To protect kids from extreme heat, California just distributed another $73 million to local school districts to transform schoolyards by converting blacktops to green spaces, planting trees, and other related efforts.

New Plan Aims to Revive Downtown San Francisco
The proposal focuses on placemaking and street activation as tools for economic development.

‘Tempe Tomorrow’ Plans for Expected Population Growth
Tempe planners are preparing a General Plan update scheduled for voter approval in March 2024.

D.C. Passes New Street Vending Rules
The District’s new regulations lower permit fees, reduce barriers to entry for vendors, and decriminalize vending offenses.

Recreational Programming Helps Communities to Thrive
Los Angeles County's popular and award-winning Parks After Dark program offers multiple important benefits, as documented in a recent UCLA study.

Iowa Towns Embrace a ‘Shrink Smart’ Approach
Population loss doesn’t have to be a harbinger of doom. Some rural communities are taking small but impactful steps to improve quality of life for their remaining residents.

An Urbanist Agenda for Education
An opinion article by Angie Schmitt addresses the neglect of education policy in the urbanist political platform, and proposes two specific education policy goals for urbanists to get behind.

Protecting Kids from Climate Change by Greening Schools
Los Angeles Unified School District is in the process of implementing a plan to ensure that at least 30 percent of all campuses include green spaces by 2035.

Bring Back the Corner Store
‘Accessory commercial units’ were once common across U.S. towns and cities. Now, zoning regulations make them illegal in many places.

Making Natural Gas Power Plants Cleaner
Carbon capture and storage has long been associated with coal-burning power plants. Calpine Corp. hopes to apply the controversial technology to existing natural gas power plants, beginning with a pilot project to start this month in the Bay Area.
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.
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