Urban Revival

Nevertheless, the Youthful Preference for Urban Living Persisted
A forthcoming study, to be published by the Journal of Regional Science, finds the urban preferences of younger generations growing over the past three decades.

Young Adults Aren't Fleeing Cities—Quite the Contrary
Joe Cortright presents the antidote to an emerging narrative about the shifting lifestyle preferences of young adults (i.e., Millennials).

Not Enough Condos to Go Around in Downtown Cleveland
What will it take for the supply of urban condos to catch up with the demand in Downtown Cleveland?

New Data on the Shift to Cities
It's no secret that urban centers are doing better today than they were 30 years ago. New FHFA data on housing prices confirms the trend and suggests that a changing environment (as opposed to changing preferences) account for it.

American Dream for Sale: $1,000 for an Empty Lot in Newark
In a bid for revenue and rejuvenation, Newark is selling vacant lots for $1,000. Buyers promise to build a home and stay for at least five years.

Editorial: Streetcar Funding Better Spent Elsewhere
The Economist introduces the concept of the streetcar in America—its history and its recent revival—before laying the arguments in support of, and against, the role of streetcars in urban revival.
Examining the Merits of St. Louis’ Infill Boom
The central corridor of St. Louis has a host of development projects in the pipeline. With a celebration of the rebirth of the city has also come questions about the new developments’ adherence to faux-historic brick architecture.
Congestion Driving Canadians Back to Cities, Says New Report
A new report by multinational professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) calls the suburban-to-urban movement of Canadian residents and businesses one of the most significant current real estate trends.

Did Sesame Street Help Spark America's Urban Revival?
At the height of America's suburban expansion, a children's show premiered that was set in a dense urban environment. Steve Patterson wonders if the young adults now embracing urban lifestyles learned to love cities by watching Sesame Street.
Have Internet, Will Travel—Just Not By Car
A new report from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund looks at how innovations in technology and social networking are changing the country's transportation landscape, and contributing to the decline in driving.

Houston Becomes an Unlikely Model for America's Urban Revival
In a city that has long typified auto-centric sprawl and unplanned growth, a funny thing is happening. An urban revival has taken root as the city competes with its suburbs and other big cities to attract residents and businesses.
Don't Go Quoting Those Urban Boomer Growth Figures Just Yet
Remember those recent articles in respected national news organizations that reported a million baby boomers had moved to America's 50 largest cities between 2000 and 2010? According to Wendell Cox, they had the story backwards.

Why Millennials Might Save the Suburbs
Observers have anxiously wondered what will happen to America's urban revival as Millennials start families and seek the types of amenities more readily found in the suburbs. Relax, says Shane Phillips, cities will be fine and suburbs will be better.
Cities vs Suburbs: Where do Parents Want to Raise Their Children?
Tanya Snyder wades into the ongoing discussion over whether America's urban revival can be sustained, a question that essentially hinges on whether cities are creating an attractive alternative to the suburbs for raising children.
Why Are Young Adults Returning to the City?
Much has been said about Millennials — the generation born from 1980 through the late 1990s, sometimes called Gen Y and Echo Boomers — choosing downtown living. Is it in rebellion to their suburban upbringing, or something more?

Hipsters Flee as Invasion of the Baby Boomers Picks Up Speed
In the hip neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Seattle, and Denver, a silver tsunami is joining, and often forcing out, tattooed and mustachioed Millennials, as retiring Baby Boomers increasingly embrace urban living.
Urban Revivals Give Hope to Detroit Emergency Manager
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, emergency manager Kevyn Orr explains how his own experiences living in once-derelict, now-thriving cities leave him optimistic about Detroit's revival.
A Tight Housing Market, in Detroit?
Curtis Johnson details an unexpected trend in downtown Motor City, where a spike in housing demand may hint at the comeback promised in Chrysler's famed Superbowl ad.
Borders’ Demise Could Open New Chapter In Urban Retail
To its minimal credit, Borders Books & Music always had a a few shelves where the works of Jacobs, Mumford, Kunstler, Whyte, Florida, and others resided. But, judging by the financial and aesthetic bankruptcies of, respectively, Borders and many American cities, it seems that copies of Life and Death (or anything else) weren't exactly flying out the door. If the public's understanding of urban economies even began to rival its fascination for gossip, self-help, and vampires, Borders never would have arisen in the first place.
The City, the College and the Hospital
This article from Governing looks at the role of higher education and medical facilities in keeping urban areas alive.
Pagination
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research