Community / Economic Development

Major Economic And Demographic Shifts From Hurricane Katrina

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina reveals significant population shifts, huge losses for insurance companies, and a collapse in real estate values.

August 18, 2006 - Tom Paine Common Sense

Will Chicago's New Living Wage Law Hurt The City?

Recent announcements from big box retailers withdrawing or delaying plans to build stores in the city have given pause to supporters of controversial living wage ordinance, with some considering withdrawing their support.

August 18, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Biography of a Gentrifying Neighborhood

A review of the book "The Tenants of East Harlem" by Russell Sharman.

August 17, 2006 - BeyondChron

India's 'Epidemic' of Farmer Suicides

Despair and poverty is driving Indian farmers to commit suicide in large numbers.

August 16, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Building Trust In A Community

After 9/11, when economic forces threatened Chinatown's survival, collaborative planning built consensus on where to go next.

August 16, 2006 - Shelterforce Magazine

Big Plans For Small City Poses Questions For Residents, Officials

The suburban community of Carmel, Indiana, has big redevelopment plans. Though not in opposition to the proposals, some residents worry about the development encroaching on established neighborhoods, and question the direction of the city's growth.

August 16, 2006 - The Indianapolis Star

A Prescription For An Ailing Urban Habitat

The ills that affect our cities can be cured with more sustainable urban planning, says one Australian public health practitioner.

August 16, 2006 - The Sydney Morning Herald

Legal Battle Set For Maine's Largest Development

The nation's largest landowner, Plum Creek Timber Co., is entering a legal battle with environmental groups over its proposal to create the largest development in Maine's history.

August 15, 2006 - Portland Press Herald

Boise Chamber Takes On Transit Tax

A half-cent sales tax for transit is proposed for the Idaho capital.

August 15, 2006 - The Idaho Statesman

Australia Sounds The Alarm On Cities And Public Health

Suburban growth patterns are among a host of factors considered detrimental to public health in several recent stories featured in the Australian media.

August 14, 2006 - The Sydney Morning Herald

How A Cool Street 'Happens'

Restaurant Row in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is an example of how a destination street can be created without any formal planning.

August 14, 2006 - Patriot-News

A Shifting Planning Paradigm In Hong Kong

No longer content with the planning status quo, the city's residents are demanding that government plans abandon their outdated "city in the sky" vision and focus on quality of life issues in the territory.

August 14, 2006 - The Standard

Sound Bite Society

Planners who have a hard time persuading elected officials or the public at large should take a cue from the late attorney Johnnie Cochran and come up with a phrase that will stick in the minds of citizens.

August 14, 2006 - Rick Bishop, AICP

Arts-Based Planning For Downtown

A New Jersey township that has been a leader in downtown planning is planning to integrate arts-based development into its successful downtown mix.

August 13, 2006 - The Star-Ledger

Smart Growth In The Hoosier Heartland

Smart growth summit on economic development, land use, community design attracts large audience.

August 11, 2006 - The Louisville Eccentric Observer

New Jersey's 100,000 Unit Housing Plan

To combat housing prices that are increasingly out of reach for low- and middle-income buyers, the state has announced plans to develop 100,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years.

August 10, 2006 - The New York Times

Planning Beyond The Project

Neighborhood planning allows community-based developers to move beyond housing development and become community catalysts.

August 10, 2006 - Shelterforce Magazine

Building A College Town

Mansfield, Connecticut, just doesn't cut it as a "college town," so locals together with the University of Connecticut are creating one.

August 10, 2006 - The New York Times

The City of Brotherly Love...And Gambling

Philadelphia is set to become the largest city in the nation with casinos, but boosters worry that the gaming venues won't fit with the city's recent revitalization.

August 10, 2006 - The Next American City

Low Density Urban Sprawl And Other Sacred Cows

A high ranking government official takes a critical look at the orthodoxy behind the fight against urban decay in India's cities.

August 9, 2006 - Hindustan Times

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.