Community / Economic Development

Dallas

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?

May 1, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Public Wi-Fi

Outdoor Dining Over Cars—Could it Happen in the United States?

Could New York City follow in the footsteps of...Vilnius?

May 1, 2020 - Eater New York

California

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.

April 30, 2020 - Project For Public Spaces

East Harlem

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?

April 30, 2020 - Slate

Utah

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.

April 29, 2020 - High Country News

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.

April 29, 2020 - KCET Artbound

Infrastructure Investment

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.

April 28, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

Women's March Los Angeles

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.

April 27, 2020 - The Planning Report

Environmental Justice

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.

April 27, 2020 - Quartz

Manhattan, New York City, New York

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.

April 27, 2020 - James Brasuell

Minneapolis Traffic

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?

April 26, 2020 - Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

California Shelter-in-Place

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.

April 24, 2020 - U.S. Census Bureau

Tel Aviv Foundation

'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

April 23, 2020 - Cities of the Future

Retail Uses

A Death Knell for Department Stores

The latest chapter of the retail apocalypse is not a happy one.

April 23, 2020 - The New York Times

Santa Monica Route 66

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.

April 22, 2020 - The Planning Report

Georgia Protest

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.

April 21, 2020 - The New York Times

Drive-Through Coronavirus Testing

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.

April 20, 2020 - The New York Times

Helena, Montana

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.

April 20, 2020 - The New York Times

Coronavirus Lock Down

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.

April 19, 2020 - Urban Institute

Custer, North Dakota

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."

April 19, 2020 - The Washington Post

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.