Planners Look to ‘Activity Centers’ for Sustainable Development

Existing hubs of ‘hyperlocal’ economic activity provide a model for urban density.

2 minute read

March 23, 2023, 12:00 PM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


While the term “15-minute city” has been co-opted by conspiracy theorists to push baseless claims, a new concept may be taking its place. As Gaby Galvin writes in Smart Cities Dive, “as city leaders look to promote more sustainable growth, they’re relying on ‘activity centers’ — hyperlocal hubs of business, retail, tourism, civic institutions and social pursuits — to help people access everything they need with less or no driving.”

Although “Conventional wisdom suggests that greater population density translates to more walking, biking and public transit use, thus lowering carbon emissions from cars,” Galvin explains that “the relationship isn’t actually so straightforward, with local policies playing a major role, researchers say.” Now, policymakers in cities including Boise and San Antonio are looking to existing activity centers as a model for sustainable future development and identifying policies that will support dense, transit-oriented development.

According to Robert Puentes, president and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation, “It’s less about just concentrating [homes and jobs] so that people can use transit to get to those parts of the region, [and more about] trying to concentrate more of the work and play around these activity centers.”

Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro, cautions that activity centers, far from a panacea, can easily encourage more driving if built around sprawling shopping centers, for example. “Ultimately, identifying where activity centers are in a metro area is just one tool for city planners, developers and local officials as they map out the future of their regions.” Tomer adds, “The activity center framework ‘should help inform a sweeping set of decisions: Where do we want to prioritize development? How do we better understand which neighborhoods interact more with one another, so we can do certain investments in these places?’”

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Smart Cities Dive

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

3 hours ago - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

5 hours ago - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

6 hours ago - Missouri Independent