Community / Economic Development

New York

How Downtown Public Space Investments Impact Equity

Efforts to revitalize declining downtowns have, in some cases, become catalysts for supporting small, minority-owned, local businesses.

August 6, 2021 - Brookings Institution

Skyline of Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk's 'Missing Middle Pattern Book' Aims to Streamline Permitting for Multi-Family Housing

Acknowledging the region's dire need for more diverse housing stock, city leaders hope the pre-approved designs, along with necessary zoning reforms, will encourage more construction of 'missing middle housing.'

August 5, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

Homeless

Mapping Informal Neighborhoods

New mapping tools are helping cities around the world map and understand their poorest communities.

August 5, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Houston Light Rail Transit

Houston Plans New Downtown Bus-Only Lanes

The lull in commuter traffic during the pandemic gave Houston's transit agencies time to implement new projects and redesign downtown roads to better accommodate transit users.

August 4, 2021 - The Houston Chronicle

Apartments for rent signage

Cincinnati Tenants Can Still Access Rental Assistance Funds

Organizations in the city are working to distribute remaining rental assistance to tenants and landlords.

August 4, 2021 - WLWT

Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Street Mural Aims to Slow Cars and Improve Pedestrian Safety

Part of a larger safety and beautification plan, the mural is designed to slow down drivers and bring a 'sense of hope' to the neighborhood.

August 3, 2021 - Philadelphia Inquirer

California Central Valley

California Lawmakers Debate Killing High Speed Rail Funding

The cost increases and delays on the Central Valley project have some state lawmakers wondering whether funds should go toward local transit systems instead.

August 3, 2021 - CALmatters

Soccer

Transforming Communities Through Soccer 'Mini-Pitches'

The U.S. Soccer Foundation and Target are partnering with schools, cities, and counties nationwide to create safe places for kids to play soccer and improve communities.

August 2, 2021 - Antelope Valley Press

Coronavirus Skies

The California Dream is Becoming Less Achievable

Anti-growth forces have made it close to impossible for many young people and newcomers to gain the upward mobility that has defined the state's success.

August 1, 2021 - The Atlantic

Chicago Transit

Chicago's New Strategic Plan for Transportation Prioritizes Equity and Accountability

The plan calls for safer streets, more equitable distribution of resources, and expanded community engagement.

August 1, 2021 - Streetsblog Chicago

Toronto Freeway

Does Highway Removal Make Cities Healthier?

Highway removal can improve the air quality and health of the immediate environment, but displacement and gentrification threaten to exclude former residents from the benefits.

July 30, 2021 - NextCity

 on I84 in Northern Oregon…one hand on the wheel and one on the shutter, at 75 mph

In Extreme Heat Waves, Cities Need 'Social Resilience' to Help the Most Vulnerable

This summer's heat waves wreaked havoc on physical infrastructure, but also highlighted vulnerabilities in our social support systems.

July 30, 2021 - The Washington Post

Homeless Encampment

Austin Selects Two Potential Sites for Sanctioned Encampments

The city plans to install temporary housing and facilities as part of its efforts to reduce homelessness and help people move into permanent housing.

July 29, 2021 - Urbanize Austin

Place It Workshop

Community Land Trusts: Combining Scale and Community Control

Pitting the straw men of scale and community control against one another does the field more harm than good.

July 28, 2021 - Shelterforce

Empty Homes

Defining the 'Community' in Community Land Trusts

As community land trusts take root and expand, they face numerous questions on how to stay communally-focused while their geographic scope grows.

July 28, 2021 - Shelterforce

Multi-Family Housing

Millions of Tenants at Risk of Eviction, Billions in Rental Assistance Undelivered

What happens if the federal rental assistance money available to renters doesn’t make it to them before the moratorium expires? And how did the 2020 eviction predictions pan out?

July 28, 2021 - Shelterforce

Silicon Valley

Bay Area Workers are Moving Back

Many of the tech employees who left Silicon Valley during the pandemic are making their way back to the Bay Area–and so are higher rents.

July 27, 2021 - New York Times

The BLVD streetscape, Lancaster, California

An Oasis In The Desert

A redesign costing a mere $12 million transformed the main street of the desert city of Lancaster, Calif., from an ordinary retail strip to a genuine place. If Lancaster can do it, any city can.

July 27, 2021 - California Planning & Development Report

Eviction Crisis

New Fair Housing Rule Should Address Evictions

HUD's new fair housing rule crucially overlooks the role of evictions in perpetuating residential segregation.

July 27, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

1719 house in Salem, Massachusetts

Greater Boston Considers Relaxing ADU Rules as Housing Shortage Deepens

Cities in the region want to increase flexibility for homeowners who want to build 'granny flats' on their property.

July 27, 2021 - Boston Globe

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.