Community / Economic Development

Person wearing headphones sitting at desk with monitor showing other people on Zoom meeting.

Which Cities Have the Most Remote Workers?

Across the country, a median of 12.5 percent of workers continue to perform their jobs remotely.

February 10, 2025 - The Herald Sun

List of various international languages with text in English and original language.

Language Matters: Addressing Communication Gaps in Disaster Response

A UCLA study reveals that language barriers left many Asian residents in Los Angeles County without critical wildfire evacuation and recovery information, highlighting the need for more inclusive emergency communication strategies.

February 10, 2025 - Los Angeles Times

Edinburg regional medical center under construction in Edinburg, Texas.

Hitting Its Stride Or Hitting A Wall? South Texas At a Watershed Moment

Can South Texas rise up without drying up?

February 9, 2025 - Greg Flisram

Street with two-story buildings in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii.

Population and Economic Shifts in the Wake of the Maui Wildfires

The 2023 Maui wildfires have caused significant out-migration, reduced in-migration, and substantial economic losses, reshaping the island’s population and straining its recovery efforts.

February 6, 2025 - University of Hawai'i News

Avalon Boulevard entrance to Dignity Health Sports Park, on the campus of Cal State Dominguez Hills, home to the LA Galaxy of Major League Soccer in Carson, California.

More Than a Game: How Sports Can Uplift Communities After Disaster

In the wake of devastating wildfires, a professional sports team in Los Angeles is stepping up to support affected fans, offering aid, morale-boosting gestures, and a sense of community resilience.

February 6, 2025 - CNN

Amorphous white building for Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles, California under construction behind green construction fence.

A New Cultural Landmark: Lucas Museum of Narrative Art Set to Open in 2026

Transforming a former parking lot into a dynamic cultural hub, this new museum will feature expansive gallery spaces, theaters, educational areas, and lush green landscapes while prioritizing community engagement, local hiring, and inclusive design.

February 5, 2025 - Parametric Architecture

Bird's eye view of workers installing solar panels on rooftop.

Building a Just Transition from the Ground Up

Effective just transitions require locally driven solutions that prioritize inclusion, agency, and accountability, ensuring that communities, cities, and national policies align to create equitable and sustainable economic opportunities.

February 5, 2025 - World Economic Forum

Downtown Providence, Rhode Island.

From Plan to Place: Providence’s Downtown Renaissance

Providence’s downtown is transforming from plan to place. Decades of strategic planning, zoning reforms, & investment are paying off, creating a more vibrant, walkable urban core. Here’s how thoughtful policy and design are shaping the city’s future.

February 5, 2025 - * A Placemaking Journal

Street with old buildings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and modern high-rise buildings in background.

The Philadelphia Loan Program Transforming the Demographics of Development

The Jumpstart loan program is helping Black and female residents become developers.

February 5, 2025 - The Philadelphia Citizen

Close-up of pink tulips in bloom at Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles County.

Cultivating Color and Community: Seasonal Planting at Descanso Gardens

Descanso Gardens’ annual planting of 35,000 tulip bulbs showcases the power of seasonal design to enhance public spaces and engage visitors.

February 3, 2025 - NBC Los Angeles

Close-up of cluster of red paper Lunar New Year lanters at night.

Bringing Communities Together: Lunar New Year Festivities Across LA County

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, LA County Parks is hosting free community festivals at 61 parks, featuring cultural performances, food tastings, crafts, and interactive activities that honor the Year of the Snake and promote unity and tradition.

February 3, 2025 - The Los Angeles Post

Fence with barbed wire and For Sale sign around vacant field.

From Brownfields to Community Assets: A Conference on Land Revitalization

The 2025 California Land Recycling Conference (CALRC) will convene experts in Carson, CA, from September 16-18 to discuss brownfield redevelopment, sustainability, and equitable land reuse, with session proposals open until March 31, 2025.

February 3, 2025 - Center for Creative Land Recycling

The Seat of Government

Good Planning Under Bad Leadership

Planners must sometimes work under bad leadership. Here are suggestions for responsive planning in challenging political environments.

February 3, 2025 - Todd Litman

Tall mature green trees lining a concrete walkway next to a street with multistory apartment buildings on other side and sun filtering through the leaves.

New Interactive Tool Helps Cities Assess and Strengthen Urban Tree Canopies

A new national tree canopy assessment tool, available at TreesAtWork.org, provides high-resolution data to help cities track tree cover changes, prioritize planting efforts, and enhance urban resilience.

February 3, 2025 - Arbor Day Foundation

Solar and Wind Energy

Equity in Energy: Protecting Livelihoods and Restoring Communities

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy must be equitable, ensuring that workers receive support, communities are revitalized, and degraded lands are restored to create a more sustainable and inclusive future.

February 3, 2025 - PRB+ Magazine

Street in Charlestown, Indiana.

Charlestown, Indiana Announces City Square Improvement Project

Charlestown, Indiana announces a City Square Improvement Project after its Redevelopment Commission acquires a vacant 20-year-old building in the Jennings Plaza downtown.

February 3, 2025 - WDRB

Multifamily housing under construction.

How Might Tariffs and Deportations Affect Affordable Housing Development?

Many affordable housing developers worry Trump’s proposed taxes on imports and crackdown on immigration will be detrimental to the industry. Others hope deregulation reduces development costs enough to offset those effects. What’s the most likely outcome?

January 30, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Young child riding scooter on gravel path in park.

Parks as Community Lifelines: Supporting Residents During Times of Crisis

The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation demonstrates how parks serve as vital community infrastructure by adapting to crises, offering public health services, disaster relief, and essential support for residents in need.

January 30, 2025 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Row of multicolored three-story apartment buildings.

What Is ‘Affordable Housing’?

For such a commonly used term, “affordable housing” means a lot of different things to different people and in different contexts.For such a commonly used term, “affordable housing” means a lot of different things to different people and in different contexts.

January 30, 2025 - Shelterforce Magazine

Drone view from Independence Monument in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Urbanism in a Time of War

The first in a series of posts reflecting on urbanism and rebuilding efforts in Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.

January 29, 2025 - Mikael Colville-Andersen

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.