• What will Biden do for urbanism?

    The Biden plan mentions code reform, transit, smart growth, underserved communities, and generally big investments in affordable housing.
    Barring some highly unlikely turn of events, Joe Biden will become president in January. The question for many planners and urban designers: What will the new administration mean for urbanism? Cities will be facing many challenges in 2021. When the dust settles on the pandemic, we don’t know what...Read more

  • As we re-envision our cities, local governments take center stage

    Cities respond to the public health crisis through unprecedented immediate action; New priorities are balanced against the ongoing requirements of creating livable and sustainable communities for all citizens.
    Since long before the current crisis, local governments have been leaders in implementing concepts that New Urbanists value: complete walkable and livable neighborhoods with ample and inclusive public spaces and community institutions for gathering, working, recreating, and socializing. Over the...Read more

  • From extractive investment to community wealth

    There's another side to Opportunity Zones: They could be a catalyst for an emerging system of building community wealth that is bottom-up and local—focusing on the "whole neighborhood."
    Above the fold in Sunday’s The New York Times was a blistering piece on Opportunity Zones: “How a Trump Tax Break to Help Poor Communities Became a Windfall for the Rich.” The article is grounded in evidence and a depressing account of parasitic capitalism that generates wealth for just a few...Read more

  • Eight policies and programs that Opportunity Zones need

    Urbanists can do lot to help improve outcomes in particular Opportunity Zones. Here’s a checklist based on lessons from real communities.
    Opportunity Zones (OZs) have the potential be the biggest community development program in the nation’s history, according to the Rockefeller Foundation. There are more than 8,700 OZs designated in every state and most cities, targeting investments in low-to-moderate-income urban and rural areas—or...Read more