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A smattering of compelling articles on issues of interest in planning. Want to contribute? Contact the Website Editor.

Planning Practice articles from Planning magazine
Feature stories on the tools and techniques employed by planners.

The Growth Management Act and Affordable Housing
Does growth management drive up the price of housing? Professor Daniel Warner of Western Washington University explores whether affordable housing is threatened by controls placed on growth, or by the growth itself.

The Jobs are Back in Town: Urban Smart Growth and Construction Employment
This report from Good Jobs First argues that job-related arguments against smart growth are wrong. Rather than diminishing the number of construction jobs, it turns out that smart growth is in many ways better than sprawl in creating employment for workers who build residential and commercial structures as well as transportation infrastructure.

Planning for Explosive Growth on the Shores of the Arabian Gulf
Beyond all the headlines, and current media preoccupation with Iraq, life goes on in the Arabian Gulf. Four hundred miles south of Basra, a massive construction boom, both in the public and private sectors, is underway in the once-sleepy Qatari capital city of Doha. Christopher Corbett, AICP, explains how the government is pushing ahead with wide-ranging projects.

Report Points to Minnesota Water Infrastructure Crisis
Infrastructure needs in Minnesota's rural communities have reached a crisis point, far exceeding the capacity of the communities to address the challenges properly, according to the West Central Initiative. A report from the organization says $6.9 billion is needed, threatening the viability of the state's communities.

Master Planning South of the Border: The Case of Colombia, Mexico
The Colombia Project is one of the most ambitious development projects on the U.S.-Mexican border today, designed to take advantage of Colombia as the preferred international crossing for North American trade. Planning Director Samuel Alatorre explains how the project works.

Second Wave of Federal Stormwater Rules on the Way
Municipalities falling under Phase II of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System stormwater program must have compliant stormwater programs in place or face potential enforcement from the EPA. Consultant Ralph Vasquez explains the coming deadline.

When 'Plan' Is a Four-Letter Word
How does planning fare in a hostile environment? The situation in Kentucky is one that may be familiar to many planners across the country poorly planned urban growth and the absence of community support or political will to pass planning-oriented legislation. By David M. Simpson, AICP, and Alice L. Jones.

Lifting the Potential of Public Transport
Learn how projects could be planned with an appreciation of the array of mobility tools that link buildings, help configure land uses in dense areas, and manage parking. Trans.21 founder Lawrence Fabian explores Automated People Movers.

Tips for Better Planner Prose
Natalie Macris says you can boost your career by learning to write clearly and well.

Business Improvement Districts and Urban Entertainment and Cultural Centers
A business improvement district (BID) is an organizing and financing mechanism used by property owners and merchants to determine the future of their retail, commercial and industrial areas.

Coping With Big Box Retailers
Of all the issues that communities face in dealing with retail development, those surrounding the placement of very large stores can be quite controversial.

Downtown: Where the Living Is Easy
Cities all over the country are trying a new tack — downtown housing.

Bitter Pill for Big Drugstores
Local officials across the country are negotiating over landscaping, parking requirements, and the scale of drugstore development.

Noxious Neighbors
Today, most diversified farms have disappeared, and increasing numbers of hogs are raised inside specially constructed buildings where temperature, humidity, and feed are controlled.

Increased Federal Resources Available for Brownfields Restoration
Including environmental issues, such as brownfields, into the planning process may help to rid the land of these undesirable elements.