Community / Economic Development

Redesigning New Orleans

New Orleans was a deeply flawed city before Katrina, and now, evacuees are stating they won't move back unless changes are made.

September 22, 2005 - USA Today

Smart Growth Experts Debate How To Rebuild New Orleans

With more than half of the city still underwater, smart-growth experts say now's an ideal time to rethink the entire infrastructure of the city.

September 22, 2005 - Montgomery Advertiser

Smart Growth and National Security

Hurricane Katrina exposes the urgent need to fix America’s obsolete way of life.

September 21, 2005 - Elm Street Writers Group

Rhode Island Urges School Districts To Plan Smarter

Rhode Island Department of Education promotes 'Smart Growth' principles in School Facilities Planning Guidelines.

September 21, 2005 - Grow Smart Rhode Island website

Smart Growth Isn't The Answer For Sydney

An opinion columnist argues that smart growth techniques will only hurt Sydney in the long run, turning it into a 'rat's nest.'

September 20, 2005 - The Sydney Morning Herald

Milwaukee Looking To Replicate Atlanta's Economic Growth

Led by the revolutionary Georgia Resource Center, Atlanta is the city to beat for luring new businesses -- a feat that Milwaukee hopes to best.

September 19, 2005 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A Hidden World Within The Modern Megacity

'Shadow Cities,' a book by Robert Neuwirth. explores the world of illegal urban squatters in some of the world's largest megacities.

September 19, 2005 - Hawaii Reporter

Gentrification of A Working Waterfront

In order to preserve its working waterfront, the City of Portland, ME, must balance the pressures of urban redevelopment in the city's thriving Old Port district with the needs of the fishermen who have worked there for centuries.

September 18, 2005 - Portland Press Herald

An Interview With Tulane's Architecture Dean About New Orleans

Reed Kroloff, the head of Tulane's architecture program talks about rebuilding the Big Easy, and how to preserve the city's 'fine grain'.

September 17, 2005 - National Public Radio

Katrina Lays Bare Superfund Woes

Concern rises that storm may have compromised cleanup of toxic sites around New Orleans -- and created new ones.

September 17, 2005 - The Christian Science Monitor

An International Perspective On Rebuilding New Orleans

The BBC reports that city officials plan to rethink the urban geography of New Orleans in order to make it stronger and better than ever.

September 15, 2005 - BBC News

Katrina As An Extension of the US Environmental Justice Problem

What's behind the socio-economic disparity in environmental planning -- and emergency response to environmental disasters? Slow Katrina evacuation fits pattern of injustice during crises.

September 14, 2005 - Grist Magazine

What Californa's 1994 Earthquake Can Teach New Orleans

The former governor of California offers advice about rebuilding to politicians in New Orleans, based on his experience with Los Angeles' 1994 earthquake.

September 14, 2005 - The Wall Street Journal

Forced Migration May Ultimately Help The Poor

Mark Alan Hughes predicts some of NOLA's poor will be better off in a couple years as a result of forced relocation to more prosperous places.

September 13, 2005 - The Philadelphia Daily News

The Incredible Shrinking Box

Retailers shape stores to fit urban settings.

September 13, 2005 - Michigan Land Use Institute

Planning For An Overnight Boomtown

Thousands of New Orleans businesses and residents have relocated to the 'New Baton Rouge', 75 miles to the northwest.

September 13, 2005 - USA Today

What FEMA Might Learn From Wal-Mart?

Some nimble private companies -- like Wal-Mart and The Sun Herald -- have contingency plans in place for a hurricane.

September 12, 2005 - The Miami Herald

A Sad Truth -- New Orleans Cannot Survive Forever

Despite the rhetoric about rebuilding, there are far too many economic, social and land use forces at work that will prevent New Orleans from returning to its former glory, writes Joel Garreau.

September 12, 2005 - The Washington Post

Planning for a Disaster-Resistant Community

APA publishes a workbook from the Planning for a Disaster-Resistant Community AICP Workshop at the 2005 APA National Planning Conference.

September 11, 2005 - American Planning Association

Orlando Recruits New Orleans Business HQ

After Hurricane Betsy in 1965, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse endeared itself to New Orleanians by feeding rescue workers a warehouse full of its prime beef. After Hurricane Katrina, the newly public company decamped for Orlando.

September 11, 2005 - The New York 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.