Community / Economic Development

Equitable Transportation Planning Initiative Advances in Northeast Ohio
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is moving forward with a groundbreaking policy to consider regional economic inequities when evaluating potential highway projects.

The Happiest State in America
According to a new study, Hawaii is the happiest state in the U.S. in 2020.

Do We Know Any More About the Future of Cities Than We Did in April 2020?
The conversation about how the pandemic might alter the direction of planning and urbanism, unlike the spread of the coronavirus, has remained steady since March.

How Engagement and Design Won Over Wary Neighbors
Despite opposition from the neighborhood, a low-income housing community was built in an upscale subdivision in California. How did developers make it happen?

Planning Age-Friendly Cities
Manchester researchers are part of a network of European cities collaborating on strategies to support the aging population in cities worldwide.

A Struggling Commercial District Searches for Opportunity in Crisis
A commercial district in a wealthy part of Washington, D.C. is shedding high-profile businesses. A reboot is in order, according to local business owners and political leaders.

California's 'Split Roll' Property Tax Reform, Explained
California voters will consider a landmark reform of its infamous property tax system this November. Prop. 15 would remove property tax caps on commercial properties established by Prop. 13 in 1978.

As U.S. Transportation Infrastructure Holds Back Economic Recovery, It's Time for Change
Opinion: Six months into the pandemic, the state of the U.S. economy reveals that the planning profession can support struggling Americans by focusing on transportation and the land use patterns that enable mass transit.

Arts for Community Control: Planning an Arts and Innovation District Without Displacement
Residents use creative engagements to envision an arts and innovation district without displacement in Boston’s Upham’s Corner.

Strange Days: Outrage Absent as Businesses Reclaim Parking Spots
It took a pandemic, but the worldwide effort to move restaurant and retail businesses outside, at the expense of parking, is proving far less controversial than it would have before the coronavirus swept the globe.

A Pro-Development Approach to Housing Affordability and Economic Growth
Decades of building housing on the fringes of metropolitan areas have mired the United States in a housing affordability crisis defined by a widening gap between the haves and the have nots.

Creative Placemaking a Boon for Underserved Communities, Report Says
The work of Chicago urban planner and developer Theaster Gates provides a proof of concept in a new report from the Urban Land Institute.

Overdue Rent Could Equal $34 Billion by January 2021
As Americans deal with job losses and ongoing unemployment, rent bills are piling up and a wave of evictions looms on the horizon.

European Cities Pledge €14 Billion to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion
The city pledges, part of Eurocities Inclusive Cities 4 All initiative, focus on real actions on key social issues for cities, such as housing, childcare, skills training, active support to employment, healthcare, long-term care and equal opportuniti

Local Opposition to Ohio DOT's I-77 Widening Plans Near Akron
The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to add lanes to Interstate 77 outside Akron to reduce congestion. Some local officials think the project will connect the region to the East Coast; others think the money would be better spent locally.
Is it a COVID Car or Mask-Optional Car? Rail Commuters Decide
A midwestern commuter rail line found a unique, if controversial way to achieve 100 percent mask compliance on its trains: Set aside one car, though preferably not the bike car, for riders who opt to travel maskless.

Covid-19 Outdoor Dining Rules Could Last Through 2021 in Philadelphia
Emergency outdoor dining regulations approved in June and set to expired in December could now be extended through the coming year.

Mega-Project Aims to Transform South Boston
Developers with a ground lease for land owned by the University of Massachusetts Boston want to build a new mixed-use development to rival Kendall Square in nearby Cambridge.

Legacy Cities, Post-Pandemic
The question of how the pandemic and all of its corresponding crises will alter the future of cities and planning has persisted since March. This article rightfully focuses those large, challenging questions of the Legacy Cities of the United States.

How Typical Economic Development Kills Community Character
An economic development pro makes an argument for an approach to economic development that prioritizes the urban design decisions that favor community character.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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