Ensuring a strong place in the knowledge economy for the future, Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University, Northeastern University, and Tufts University will invest $10 million in 10 struggling public schools in a concentrated effort to increase the number of students going to college.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino announced the… more

Phoenix and Washington D.C. are both moving ahead on major development projects that will change the futures of their cities' cores for years to come.

Phoenix is set to approve a $900 million contract with RED development that will, in essence, constitute the framework for the city's new downtown. Phoenix Mayor… more

A commentary by Otis White - weekly regular on Smart City - for Governing magazine (Thanks to Smart City Memphis blog for posting this one.)...

You know hip when you see it in Coconut Grove in Miami, Buckhead in Atlanta or LoDo in Denver. But what does hip look like in… more

Check these great photos comparing cars on the street to people on the street.

In his book, "Sprawl," Robert Brugemann makes the now much-ballyhooed claim that Los Angeles is more dense than New York.

Say what?

That's the conclusion on three researchers from UCLA who debunk that assertion with detailed research of both cities.

The statistical trick Bruegmann uses is to compare the urbanized area of… more

Anticipating ongoing growth in its downtown, a Dallas City Council committee voted to "grant" more than $500,000 to keep a downtown market open for the next two years. Another half million will be raised by the private sector.

"Proponents of the deal argued that City Hall has made downtown Dallas redevelopment… more

Author Kyle Ezell is helping cities get ready for the invasion of the Ruppies - "Retired Urban People" with his new book "Retire Downtown: The Lifestyle Destination for Active Retirees and Empty Nesters."

Along with the release of his book, Kyle, through his web site (www.retiredowntown.com) is organizing "Ruppie Parties"… more

Rick Chellman , principal with TND Engineering, posted this to a thread for Knight Fellows and I thought it was worth sharing...

Walkability as a new feature in an otherwise suburban area is one thing and details are VERY important; in a more established pedestrian environment, the streetscape can "get… more

Mayor Gavin Newsom today announced that the City would formally explore the possibility of generating clean energy through the power of the tides at the Golden Gate with a $150,000, twelve to eighteen-month feasibility study to be conducted by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), working with the San… more

Writing for Technology Review, Daniel Turner reports that Princeton U. researchers have released a study and video that demonstrate the ease of altering votes on an electronic voting machine.

"Contract cities" are gaining popularity among newly incorporated cities and even San Diego is considering it. Privatization of government services is hardly new. Former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith has long championed the idea and made it a hallmark of his successful administration. Contractors are generally not unionized and they are… more

... you rethink. When you have 38 million customers you don't have access to, you rethink. Selling to Phoenix is nice. Las Vegas is nice. But they aren't California.

That's the response California is hoping for to it stringent demands on energy suppliers. When it comes to green initiatives, no state… more

Atlanta is busy putting together a 22-mile green loop around the core city to be known as the Beltline. Expected to cost $2.8 billion when finished, it is already increasing property values nearby. With New York urban planner Alex Garvin at the helm, the project will serve hikers and bikers,… more

Toronto's sparkling new collection of cultural and educational facilities by star-chitects is becoming the latest lure for tourists. It all started with Will Alsop's humorous design for the Ontario College of Art and Design. Now, buildings by Stephan Benisch (University of Toronto Science Center) and Norman Foster (University of Toronto… more

Most cities do not have the budget for real-world emergency exercises - and Incident Commander, a training simulator, aims to fill that gap by giving players a lead role in managing crisis situations such as terrorist attacks and natural disasters. The game tutors players in how to build a budget… more

Wall Street Journal reports on Stockholm's six-month experiment earlier this year charging extra tolls for using city streets. Unlike London's much-touted congestion pricing, Stockholm used a dynamic pricing system that charged drivers different amounts depending on the time of day they traveled.

The project is "essentially a giant behavior-control experiment designed… more

Trail systems now top the list of amenities potential homebuyers seek in a new community. Fifty-seven percent of prospective buyers told the National Association of Home Builders that they wanted trails, more than wanted parks and outdoor pools. And trails generally mean woods and open space.

"People have had their fill… more

U.S. college students now lag those of other nations in college enrollment and completion as affordability of a university education has declined. The nation now ranks seventh in college attainment among young adults, falling behind Canada, Japan, Korea, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Bulgaria. (Yes, Bulgaria.) More discouraging, the U.S. ranks… more

Starbucks Salon just opened in New York, "a nomadic interactive coffeehouse ,gallery, and performance space rolled into one," with 10 days of free music, spoken word, readings, fashion and art from emerging artists. In a "spirit of discovery," Starbucks Salon plans to move the operation to other cities around… more

L.A.'s Wilshire Boulevard comes alive with the Los Angeles Conservancy's educational program, Curating the City. It is interesting tribute to the city's history, served by a handsome award-winning web site. Very nice.

The latest issue of Communication Arts features a gorgeous spread on Metro Design Studio, the talented team behind the communication at Los Angeles Metro.

Michael Lejeune, former project director at KBDA, a hip West L.A. design firm that specializes in corporate branding and annual reports, was hired to run "what might… more

Memphis College of Art President Jeff Nesin, a dear friend, sent the following:

As all of us are acutely aware, Monday will mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 hijackings and attacks. I have wanted to offer something meaningful to our community, but it's enormously difficult. Though many things have… more

Outdoor and fitness enthusiasts have more urban options for exercise these days as more and more cities offer bike courses, beach-volleyball sand pits, rock-climbing walls and a number of ice rinks right in the heart of the city, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

And what's more,… more

Chris Balish is living in Southern California without benefit of an automobile, and he is urging others to follow his lead in his new book, "How to Live Well Without Owning a Car."

At the end of his first car-less month, Balish claims he had saved $800. And in three years,… more

Katrina anniversary coverage has pictured a determined but often exhausted New Orleans. Spike Lee's documentary for HBO is superb.

But the story of Harry Anderson in the New York Times seemed particularly revealing. Anderson and his wife were rcent transplants, but from their small club, they had run informal French Quarter… more

Here's a happy thought: USA Today reports that drivers in small urban communities will experience the worse increase in traffic congestion from now to 2030, and rush hour delays could double.

"Moving to small-town America is not going to solve your problem," according to David Hargen, lead author of the… more

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa got the go-ahead from state legislators to "take over" the city's schools. But, according to the New York Times, it gives little real power to the mayor, "spreading it instead among myriad officials" and "leaves many important decisions in the hands of the very… more