I am catching up on my reading and did this little analysis of US Bureau of Labor Statistics for jobs growth 2008-2018:

Seven of 10 jobs projected to have largest growth in next decade likely will not pay a living wage.  Five of those… more

Excerpts from a speech by CEOs for Cities President and CEO, Carol Coletta on the Washington D.C. creative economy.

This discussion on My City raises some interesting questions about how our universities can simultaneously better their own services and their cities.

Could universities better integrate with public transportation systems, increasing ridership and revenues while providing transportation options for their students?

Can universities better use the land they… more

This is a charming series of webisodes on the transformation of a 350 year-old village outside of Helsinki from a manufacturing company town to an arts village.

Have a look at these exciting new designs that aim to revitalize Cleveland’s downtown area by rethinking its main public space, Public Square.

James Corner Field Operations, best known for their work on New York’s High Line Park, has been asked by two local non-profits Parkworks and The Downtown Cleveland… more

If you’re thinking about the future of mobility in your city, see these excerpts from the forum “Cities, Bicycles, and the Future of Getting Around” held in D.C. last week by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.

Insights on integrating… more

In this essay, Vishaan Chakrabarti argues for an alternative policy approach for the U.S. that tackles the fundamental challenges we face in an integrated, purposeful way with dense urban living at the heart of it.

He imagines leaders promoting “time-tested ideas of density and mass transportation, of cities… more

In this blog, the insightful Aaron Renn urges us to take a fresh look at our cities to find the opportunity in perceived challenges.

He reminds us that a big part of being competitive is using distinctiveness to advantage.

Aaron asks “Why [in the Midwest] can’t we use… more

Excerpts from Carol Coletta's remarks to the Cities of Service "Building the Blueprint Meeting" in Philadelphia Dec. 3, 2009.

Not that long ago, there was an obvious reason for business to be involved in community.  In any mid-size city, there were three big local banks, three local department stores, two… more

City-Go-Round is the new website designed to help visitors find public transit applications (apps) available in their city.

Launched by Frontseat, the civic software company that also operates Walk Score, City-Go-Round’s mission is “To help make public transit more convenient. For example, an app that lets… more

Over the past 50 years, Hartford’s leaders have successfully achieved what they thought would bring greater prosperity to downtown: more parking.

The University of Connecticut’s Center for Transportation and Urban Planning, however, has revealed a frightening picture in its study of the cumulative effect on the city of providing parking.

For people seeking greater insight into the “unique relationship between Portland’s culture, arts and economy”, a new book is slated for next year that examines the industries of Portland.

Charles Heying, the author of ‘Brew to Bikes: Portland’s Artisan Economy’, will offer new insights on the role of cultural industries… more

With an enormous amount of space dedicated to lawn areas that consume 7 billion gallons of water a day, rising transportation costs detracting from food budgets, and only 2% of food grown locally, this competition urges a transition “from Mowing to Growing”.

The One Prize is a design competition for… more

Beautiful, interesting and unusual city infrastructure seems a prominent theme this week. 

Here are two photo-articles that have sought out such infrastructure, highlighting architecturally interesting subway stations and the most beautiful airport terminals in the world.

The Gateway Arch is the subject of a new international design competition that calls the world’s designers and architects to action in service of reframing this iconic monument.

St. Louis’ National Park Service seeks to integrate the magnificent memorial and its grounds with St. Louis, the Mississippi River and Illinois… more

Increasing transfer rates from community colleges to four-year institutions may be one strategy your city adopts to achieve its Talent Dividend.  If so, the Community College Transfer Initiative and Pathways Program at Mount Holyoke may be of interest. Through these programs, the college has… more

As part of the Livability Initiative, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would be making available $280 million in 2010 for grants to streetcars, buses and other urban circulator projects. "Priority will be given to projects that connect destinations and foster the redevelopment of communities into walkable,… more