Blogs

September 20, 2023

The New Nicollet Redevelopment: Reimaging New Places and Opportunities

The 2024 Student Planning and Design Competition project site location is the New Nicollet Redevelopment, the former Kmart site in South Minneapolis, Minnesota. This project site covers 10 acres of land between the Midtown Greenway bike trail, Lake Street, First Avenue, and Blaisdell Avenue.

June 22, 2023

Transit Oriented Development and Crime in Chicago

Uncovering JAPA: Is there a connection between transit oriented development (TOD) in Chicago's public transit system.

March 28, 2023

Understanding the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program

Understanding the purpose and history of the Disadvantage Business Enterprise program.

March 14, 2022

Is Zoning Helping or Hindering Office-to-Housing Conversions?

Spotlight on Zoning Practice: Do high office vacancy rates mean that office-to-housing conversions are inevitable? How does zoning affect opportunities for adaptive reuse projects?

December 21, 2021

Advancing Active Living Through Adaptive Reuse

This blog post provides an overview of adaptive reuse as a planning approach to increase physical activity in small and rural towns. It is part of the Everyday Destinations series.

October 7, 2021

Who Benefits From Detroit's Development Boom, and How?

Uncovering JAPA: What do citizens in Detroit gain from private development?

June 16, 2021

Renew and Repurpose: How a 100-Year-Old High School is Graduating to a New Life With a Different Group of Seniors

Sponsored Content from RDL Architects: Learn how RDL Architects (RDL), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, was tasked with renewing an historic school for its latest purpose — a 62-unit affordable senior apartment building.

February 16, 2021

Chicago Sells Vacant Parcels For $1 and Nets Crime Reduction

Uncovering JAPA: Chicago's policy of selling vacant lots at a very low cost to adjacent landowners and other purchasers with local connections has resulted in a reduction in neighborhood crime.

October 8, 2020

When It’s Right to Rightsize

Uncovering JAPA: The Flint water crisis shows when it's right to rightsize.

May 21, 2020

Challenges to Ambitious Planning in a Shrinking City

Uncovering JAPA: Can planners overcome cultural, political, legal, and economic barriers to “smart shrinkage” strategies in shrinking cities?

May 23, 2019

40 Years Ago: Neil Smith, Gentrification, and the Flow of Money

Uncovering JAPA: In 1979, Neil Smith reconsidered the foundations of gentrification, pinpointing the flow of capital that continues to reshape city centers today.

March 1, 2018

Tax Law Creates New Opportunity Zone Program; Planners Must Act Early

The deadline for states to apply for an Opportunity Zone designation is fast approaching. Planners need to act quickly to ensure that their communities do not miss out on this important opportunity.

September 14, 2017

Revitalizing Smaller Legacy Cities, From Gary to Lowell

How can smaller legacy cities revitalize? A new report from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Greater Ohio Policy Center recommends eight strategies.