redevelopment posts, articles, and infographics | Sustainable Cities Collective

Give Zoning an Expiration Date

March 11, 2012 by Chris Bradford
with 179 views

Photo by La Citta Vita via Flickr

I've been thinking about expiration dates for zoning. I was prompted by Austin's draft comprehensive plan. There are things I like about the plan -- it advocates increased density on Austin's primary urban corridors, for example. But there’s also stuff to dislike. Such as this: I’m sure most American municipal comprehensive plans... [read more]

End Comes for Many California Redevelopment Agencies

January 24, 2012 by Next American City
with 59 views

How many jobs will be lost following the Alhambra agency’s dissolution? Credit: Wikipedia user Jey0hThis piece originally ran in the Alhambra Source. It concerns an example of how a recent California state law dissolving redevelopment agencies affects local communities. The Alhambra Redevelopment Agency will cease to exist as of February... [read more]

How Majora Carter Changes the Image of Cities

December 6, 2011 by Kat Friedrich
with 156 views

Urban visionary Majora Carter described her ability to reimagine cities and neighborhoods at the Boston Museum of Science on Nov. 2. She told the story of her work to “green the ghetto” by connecting young people with environmental jobs, her efforts to transform an abandoned dump and a jail into community-friendly spaces, and her plans... [read more]

4 Ways Strip Malls Are Coming Back to Life

November 28, 2011 by Kristen Jeffers
with 212 views

Yes, I know North Hills Raleigh is a great retrofit of an old mall. But it’s still mostly retail. Read below and find out more about other rebirth options. (Image credit: Flickr user radellaf). I know in my last post I came down pretty hard on the lifestyle center trend. However, living up the street from an enclosed mall that regularly... [read more]

Re-envision Decommissioned Military Sites

November 14, 2011 by The Dirt ASLA
with 161 views

Architecture for Humanity has launched [UN] RESTRICTED ACCESS, its 2011 Open Architecture Challenge, which asks landscape architects, architects, and other design professionals to synch up with community groups and develop innovative approaches that reenvision closed, abandoned, or de-commissioned military sites. In fact, designers are required to work with community groups trying to transform these sites of conflict into “civic spaces built for the public good.” Truly a worthy challenge for all landscape architects. [read more]

Community-Driven Visions of Modernity in Mumbai

November 11, 2011 by polis blog
with 262 views

A view of Jubilee Street, near Bhendi Bazaar, at the heart of the area to be redeveloped. The largest cluster redevelopment project in Mumbai is about to begin – a precedent-setting "upliftment" of 16.5 acres in the heart of the city's southern tip, to be completed in 2017. Southern Mumbai is dense and vibrant, defined by decaying,... [read more]

Transforming Historic Urban Space Into A Vibrant Cultural District

October 6, 2011 by This Big City
with 160 views

As the needs of cities change, older buildings can find themselves a bit redundant. The challenge for urban areas is to find a new purpose for these buildings, one which is historically respectful but at the same time creates a space that meets the modern needs of a city. This is exactly what has happened in Toronto, where a former... [read more]

Opera Flashmob? Arts Get Creative With Venues

September 29, 2011 by Next American City
with 94 views

Birmingham Opera’s production of Stravinsky’s The Wedding Credit: Pete AshtonThe move towards greater online consumption is forcing place-based merchants to reevaluate the effectiveness of their real estate. Retail is thriving where planners recognize and emphasize the importance of unique location-identity. The enticement of your... [read more]

Old Parking Meters Become Bicycle Racks in New York

September 23, 2011 by TheCityFix - produced by EMBARQ
with 644 views

Muni-Meters will soon become the only way to pay for parking for on-street spots in New York City. Photo by jeanphony.New York City is removing its last single-space parking meter in Manhattan today, The New York Times reports. Instead of collecting parking fees for individual spots, the New York City Department of Transportation is... [read more]

Signs Of Life In Downtown Detroit

September 21, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
with 175 views

Don’t count the Motor City out just yet. Companies are now fleeing its suburban office parks for downtown, writes Louis Aguilar in The Detroit News: “When MyInsuranceExpert.com announced last week it is moving its headquarters and 85 workers from Troy to one of the downtown Detroit office buildings bought by... [read more]

Repurposing Retired Power Plants Into Green Neighborhood Centers

September 9, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
with 199 views

Industry analysts predict that environmental and economic factors will lead to the retirement of dozens of aging coal-fired power plants in the coming decade. Many of these occupy important locations in cities, often with valuable access to waterfronts. According to a new report, these sites present tremendous... [read more]

Make Urban Revitalization Greener, Greater, And More Inclusive

August 10, 2011 by Kaid Benfield
with 291 views

When revitalization of our distressed neighborhoods is done well, it is almost unrivaled in its ability to advance simultaneously the “triple bottom line” of sustainability: improving the environment, the economy, and social equity. [read more]