Community / Economic Development

The Pandemic Revealed Public Space as 'Essential Infrastructure'
COVID-19 restrictions have highlighted the importance of abundant, multi-use open spaces accessible to all.

Pop Quiz: What Kind of Post-2020 City-Maker Are You?
The State of Place blog is offering a pop quiz designed to help you diagnose the kind of post-2020 city-maker you are.

Homeless Counts Fall Short in Gathering Accurate Statistics
Assessing the scale of homelessness in the United States is surprisingly difficult, with statistics failing to capture the diversity of unhoused people and their situations.

'The Great Real Estate Reset'
Business as usual in the real estate industry is failing the economy and the political and social cohesion of the United States, according to a new initiative launched by the Brookings Institution.

Thank Indigenous Activists for the Keystone XL Pipeline's Demise
President Biden's executive order may put the final nail in the coffin of the controversial pipeline project, but it was unwavering local activists who kept the pressure on for a decade.

Some Santa Monica City Councilmembers Unhappy With Housing Element Update
Local leaders are challenging state-mandated affordable housing requirements for the 2021-2029 cycle.

New Amazon HQ2 Renderings Reveal a Futuristic Look for Northern Virginia
Renderings for the second phase of Amazon's second headquarters in Northern Virginia grabbed a lot of attention today.

Opinion: How Trader Joe's Nailed its Pandemic Response
Cities could learn from the grocery store chain's successful navigation of the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Repositioning Black Urbanists in the History of Planning
The history of planning is dominated by a few iconic figures—all white.

The Impacts of Zoning Laws in Montgomery County
Historic zoning decisions have left a lasting legacy of housing inequality. Current leaders have the opportunity to change that.

Planning Trends to Watch in 2021
The nation is now tasked with the challenge of changing course in the middle of multiple, global crises. The necessity of finding a way to overcome the failures of the past and lay the groundwork for a new kind of future has never been more clear.

Dallas City Council Will Consider Food Carts
As the pandemic leaves restaurants and food businesses struggling to make ends meet, the Dallas City Council will evaluate a proposal legalizing detached food carts.

Vancouver Might Allow Non-Profit Housing to Skip Rezoning Application
Vancouver is considering eliminating a rezoning application, which could save non-profit developers up to two years in the city's approvals process.

Biden Promises New Attention to Racial Inequality, Including Fair Housing
The Biden administration is announcing its intentions to overturn several controversial products of the Trump administration to weaken the the implementation of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and the doctrine of disparate impact at its core.

Opinion: Public Housing Won't Solve the Affordability Crisis
Seeking repeal of the Faircloth Amendment could be a needless distraction in the new administration's efforts to create more affordable housing, according to an article by Jenny Schuetz for the Brookings Intitution.

Warehouse Moratorium Sought in Suburban Georgia to Slow Road Damage
Traffic from the area's booming distribution centers is damaging local roads and causing concern among residents.

Lawsuit Targets Granny Flat Law Compliance in California
A real estate group claims the city has been denying and delaying ADU permits in violation of city and state laws.

Bike and Pedestrian Improvements Proposed for Seattle Light Rail Stations
Anticipating the opening of two new stations in 2024, the Seattle Department of Transportation released a study prioritizing bike infrastructure in the surrounding areas.

San Francisco's Housing Crisis is Deepening, Despite Falling Rents
Despite the purported exodus of untethered Silicon Valley workers from the Bay Area, rents in the city are still the highest in the United States.

Change of Plans: Transit Funding Priorities Shift in the Silicon Valley
Santa Clara County cities rebel against the agency's proposed plan to spend most of the Measure B funds on a Silicon Valley BART extension.
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