Recommended Reading
The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City - Alan Ehrenhalt, a leading urbanologists, reveals how the roles of America’s cities and suburbs are changing places—young adults and affluent retirees moving in, while immigrants and the less affluent are moving out—and addresses the implications of these shifts for the future of our society.
Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time - Making downtown into a walkable, viable community is the essential fix for the typical American city; it is eminently achievable and its benefits are manifold. Walk-able City—bursting with sharp observations and key insights into how urban change happens—lays out a practical, necessary, and inspiring vision for how to make American cities great again.
The End of the Suburbs - Leigh Gallagher traces the rise and fall of American suburbia from the stately railroad suburbs that sprung up outside American cities in the 19th and early 20th centuries to current-day sprawling exurbs where residents spend as much as four hours each day commuting. Along the way she shows why suburbia was unsustainable from the start and explores the hundreds of new, alternative communities that are springing up around the country and promise to reshape our way of life for the better.
Vision West ND on planning and zoning - Planning and Zoning workshops for Consortium Communities were developed for communities to get a better handle on the demands of rapid growth and to sharpen the tools necessary to shape that growth.
Childcare Information - Access to child care is an important component of a community's infrastructure.
Local Capacity Building and Leadership Training from NDSU Extension (variety of programs) - Extending knowledge - Changing lives
Related Websites
The mission of Strong Towns is to support a model of development that allows America's cities, towns and neighborhoods to become financially strong and resilient.
Articles of Interest
- Slow the Cars - Strong Towns
- 3 Things a Neighborhood Needs to be Truly Walkable
- Low-Cost Pop-Up Shops Create Big Value In Muskegon, Michigan
AARP Livable Communities supports the efforts of neighborhoods, towns, cities and rural areas to be great places for people of all ages. We believe that communities should provide safe, walkable streets; age-friendly housing and transportation options; access to needed services; and opportunities for residents of all ages to participate in community life. Check out the website for tons of free resources and grant opportunities.
CityLab is committed to telling the story of the world's cities: how they work, the challenges they face, and the solutions they need.
Article of Interest
The Urban Retail Institute promotes sustainable urban retail for historic and new city centers, with the general goal of providing for the goods and services needed and desired by their residents, workers and visitors.
Roger Brooks International provides an array of resources for everyone charged with making the place they call home better: municipalities, planning, downtown, tourism and economic development., etc.
Gizmodo is a design, technology, science and science-fiction website that also features articles on politics.
Articles of Interest
- Look How Much Better a City Can Be When It Designs for People Not Cars
- Reimagining Our Cities as Places: From Transit Routes to Community Roots
A website for planners, urban designers, form-based code wranglers, storytellers, marketers, advisors and advocates.
Article of Interest
A website focused on the best everyday health choices - helping you find what's good for you.
Article of Interest
Governing is the nation's leading media platform covering politics, policy and management for state and local government leaders.
Article of Interest
After dozens of community visits across the state of North Dakota, student engagement, succession planning and preparing leaders for the future became clear improvement opportunities for communities large and small.