Start here · Essential guide
The Role of Government in Urban Development and Renewal
An overview of what national, regional and city governments do in urban development: regulation, land, services, incentives and the trade-offs that come with each.
Planning and People
Governance and Policy
How government, planning and design carry public policy into the city.
The Importance of Urban Design in Shaping Public Policy
How design standards and guidelines turn public policy goals into the physical form of streets and buildings, and why those standards involve trade-offs.
The Importance of Urban Governance in Urban Renewal and Development
How decision making is shared among levels of government, agencies and residents, and why coordination between them often decides whether renewal projects succeed.
The Importance of Urban Planning in Shaping Public Policy
How plans, zoning and comprehensive visions turn broad public policy goals into binding rules on land and buildings, and where that process has limits.
The Importance of Urban Planning in Urban Renewal and Development
What planners do across renewal and new development, from data analysis and visioning to approvals and review, and where the planner role has limits.
The Role of Government in Urban Renewal: Policy and Funding
How governments set renewal policy and pay for it through budgets, grants and borrowing, with notes on how rules and funding sources differ between countries.
Urban Renewal and the Role of Local Government
What city and town governments can typically do in renewal, including zoning, permitting, land and services, and where state, national and legal limits apply.
Urban Renewal and the Role of Local Government in Infrastructure Development
How local governments plan, build and maintain roads, water and utilities during renewal, and how capital budgets decide which projects go first.
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Renewal and Planning Planning basics, heritage reuse, downtowns and cultural districts. Inclusive Cities Equity, diversity and renewal without displacement. Vacant Property Reuse Bringing abandoned buildings and lots back into use. Blight and Regeneration What blight means and how neighborhoods are redeveloped. Historic Districts Renewing older neighborhoods while respecting their heritage. Neighborhood Revitalization Renewing whole neighborhoods with residents, housing and local services. Housing and Equity Housing costs, markets and fairness in renewal and development. Community Impact of Renewal Effects of renewal on culture, services, health, politics and daily life. Community Engagement How residents take part in shaping development and renewal. Project Delivery The practical steps between a renewal idea and a finished project. Maps, Surveys and Evidence Simple methods planners use to see what is happening in a place.