A plan to remake the St. Paul riverfront, and potentially revitalize the downtown office market, took its first steps forward this week.

"Ramsey County commissioners received their first update this week on a developer’s grand plan to develop downtown St. Paul’s riverfront, with notable exception: how much it will cost," reports Tad Vezner.
Ramsey County owns Riverfront Properties, a nearly five-acre site located along the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Saint Paul, and has been searching for a developer to redevelop the site after beginning deconstruction of the prison buildings on the site in 2015.
Now Los Angeles-based AECOM is pitching the development of an "open air shelf" on the site. "Four towers — one of them potentially as tall as St. Paul’s highest building, Wells Fargo Place, at about 40 stories — would anchor the 12-acre site with a mix of apartments, retail, offices and a boutique hotel. Surrounding it could be such open-air features as a bandshell and tiered, shaded areas to sit and watch the river," according to Vezner.
FULL STORY: Ramsey County gets update on developer’s plan to redevelop St. Paul riverfront

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland