Community / Economic Development

Coronavirus Presents Opportunities for Resilience in Dallas
Dallasites have a history of responding to times of crisis with plans for reinvention. What could the city do to improve public life after the coronavirus pandemic?

Outdoor Dining Over Cars—Could it Happen in the United States?
Could New York City follow in the footsteps of...Vilnius?

How Public Spaces Can Better Support Houseless Communities
Project for Public Spaces urges seven tangible actions for public space managers to support unhoused people during the coronavirus pandemic right now, and moving forward.

Urbanism Pays the Price for High COVID Death Toll in New York and New Jersey
Opponents of dense housing and public transit have seized on the disproportionate death toll originating from the epicenter of the nation's coronavirus outbreak. Is it time for the leaders of New York and New Jersey to admit they acted late?

Criticism for Plans for Massive Inland Port Plan Near the Great Salt Lake
The Utah Inland Port Authority has moved forward quickly with a plan to build a massive inland port complex, despite the objections of local officials in Salt Lake City.
Communicative Arts Academy: Rebuilding Compton for Artists and Community Life
In the 1960s-70s, a group of artists called the Compton Communicative Arts Academy renovated buildings across Compton and transformed vernacular, underutilized structures into venues for and objects of art.

How Local Projects Could Spur COVID-19 Economic Recovery
While some cities and states have prohibited all construction during the first few months of the pandemic, other locations are leaning on construction projects as a source of employment and improvements during tough times.

Former L.A. City Budget Czar on the Fiscal Quagmire Ahead
Miguel Santana, former chief administrative officer for the city of Los Angeles during the Great Recession, comments on the realities revenue-starved city budgets.

Clean Energy Sector Shed More Than 100,000 Jobs in March
The great recession led to major gains in the clean energy sector, but so far, clean energy workers are struggling like everyone else.

Density Debate Rages Alongside the Pandemic
Questions about how highly contested questions about the future of the built environment will reference COVID-19 for years to come. The question about whether that debate will achieve any actual change is still very much up for debate.

Removal Over Reconstruction: Rectifying Crumbling U.S. Highways
Successful urban highway deconstruction projects have swapped highways for boulevards and saw economic, public health, and urban design benefits. Will more cities opt for highway removal programs over reconstruction?

Census Bureau Launches Data Collection Projects to Track COVID-19 Effects in Real Time
Three new projects will help provide a better sense of the economic and societal effects of the pandemic.

'This Crisis Will Reshape the Way We Understand City Living'
Tel Aviv Foundation’s CEO says city leaders need to listen and be patient to learn from the current crisis. Also, large events, festivals, tourists, and crowds won’t be back for some time, but that could be a good thing

A Death Knell for Department Stores
The latest chapter of the retail apocalypse is not a happy one.

A Canary in the Coal Mine for All Cities? Santa Monica City Manager Steps Down
Rick Cole discusses the existential challenges cities must grapple to be a leading city in the 21st century, Santa Monica's achievements during his five years as city manager, and the sacrifices that will be made as the city endures COVID-19.

States Take Steps to Reopen Regardless of White House Guideline Criteria
Governors of several states announced initial steps to reopen their economies even though their COVID-19 caseloads are not meeting the criteria that they show a decline for two weeks, according to White House reopening guidelines issued April 16.

U.S. Needs to More Than Triple Testing Before States Can Open, Study Says
The United States currently tests about 145,000 people daily. A Harvard study calls for a minimum of 500,000 daily, but that's on the low end if the country wants to prevent shutting down again due to a second wave of the coronavirus.

President Trump's Plan to Reopen the Economy Rests with States
After initially saying that he had total authority on how and when to reopen the economy, Trump handed the responsibility to the 50 governors to make their own decisions and offered guidance in the form of a three-phase plan that relies on testing.

The Geography of Low-Income Job Losses
The historic job losses of the past two months have hit the most vulnerable workers harder than others, so far. The Urban Institute estimated and mapped where more low-income jobs have been lost.

Coronavirus Shuts Down Food Processing Plant as President Pushes Reopening Economy
As President Donald Trump eyes May 1 for "opening up states," he might want to look at states that never shut down businesses to understand his public health advisor's warning that "the virus makes the timeline."
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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.
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