In Atlanta, Striving for Equity

The election of a new mayor in Atlanta is unlikely to alter the city’s commitment to pursuing a strategy of equitable and inclusive growth as defined and advanced by retiring mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Advanced by the Department of City Planning with a commitment to achieve a beloved community worthy of Martin Luther King’s vision, … Continue reading In Atlanta, Striving for Equity

The Ecology of Homicide Panel at Penn

Last week’s annual Norman Glickman lecture at the University of Pennsylvania featured the posthumously-published book by Eric Schneider, The Ecology of Homocide. Although covering only the period following World War II until the 1980s, Schneider’s study of murder in Philadelphia had a number of powerful connections with the present gun violence crisis in the city. … Continue reading The Ecology of Homicide Panel at Penn

The Promise and the Peril of Placemaking

This week the Center for Community Progress based in Flint unveils its new data bank of creative placemaking experiments. Known as a pioneer in creating community land banks, the Center considers placemaking, when done equitably, “as one way for communities to leverage creative expression to reshape a community, reverse the systemic silencing of residents, and … Continue reading The Promise and the Peril of Placemaking

In the Aftermath of George Floyd’s Death, New Tests for Achieving Equitable Development

Urbanists have long been critical of the deep subsidies directed at the construction of sports complexes for professional teams, often at the immediate expense of nearby neighborhoods, to say nothing of the drain on municipal budgets when costs inevitably outpace the presumed benefits of such investment. In recent years, activists have fought back, aiming to … Continue reading In the Aftermath of George Floyd’s Death, New Tests for Achieving Equitable Development

With Submissions to Amazon now in, What Have We learned about Our Region?

In a scramble not seen since the 1940s, when cities and towns across the country competed for the right to host the United Nations, hundreds of hopeful jurisdictions have put in their bids to host Amazon’s second headquarters.  While oddsmakers are already projecting the favorites, it’s hard to predict what Amazon will do. It’s not … Continue reading With Submissions to Amazon now in, What Have We learned about Our Region?

As Trump “Goes Rogue” the GOP “Elite” Still Appears Poorly Prepared to Fight Back

What could be more surreal than to be trying to follow the critical Senate vote on the Affordable Care Act, only to be buffeted by stories of the vulgar language Trump’s new communications director Anthony Scarammucci used to describe his White House colleagues, not the least chief-of-staff Reince Priebus? No matter, within 24 hours, the … Continue reading As Trump “Goes Rogue” the GOP “Elite” Still Appears Poorly Prepared to Fight Back