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Metropolitan Institute

Investing in Healthy, Sustainable Places through Urban Agriculture - 1 views

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    Funders play an essential role in repurposing vacant properties for productive reuse. The Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities recently released a report that provides a comprehensive definition of urban agriculture and outlines several ways in which funders can support this innovative reuse strategy.
natalieborecki

Distressed Cities - 1 views

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    Sponsored by the Ridenour Faculty Fellowship Fund, Virginia Tech's School of Public and International Affairs will be hosting a two day conference on Distressed Cities, on April 12-13, 2012, in Blacksburg, VA. The conference will foster a broad, interdisciplinary exploration of the concept of distressed cities and the implications for policy and practice. School faculty, invited guest speakers and master class presentations of selected graduate students will be participating in the round table discussions. The conference is free and open to the public, although RVSP's are being accepted to accommodate lunch. For further information, please refer the flyer or visit the conference blog.
Metropolitan Institute

Popper, Deborah, and Frank J. ... - 3 views

Popper, Deborah, and Frank J. Popper. 2002. "Small can be Beautiful". Planning. 17 (2): 262-331.

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
Metropolitan Institute

"Using Land Inventories to Plan for Urban Agriculture."_Many Authors [journal article] - 2 views

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    Mendes, Wendy, Kevin Balmer Terra Kaethler, & Amanda Rhoads. (2008). "Using Land Inventories to Plan for Urban Agriculture." Journal of the American Planning Association. 74 (4), 435-450. Abstract: "Problem: Urban agriculture has potential to make cities more socially and ecologically sustainable, but planners have not had effective policy levers to encourage this. Purpose: We aim to learn how to use land inventories to identify city land with the potential for urban agriculture in order to plan for more sustainable communities by answering two questions: Do land inventories enable integration of urban agriculture into planning and policymaking? Do land inventories advance both ecological and social dimensions of local sustainability agendas? Methods: We use case studies of two Pacific Northwest cities (Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia), comparing the municipal land inventories they undertook to identify public lands with potential for urban agriculture. We study how they were initiated and carried out, as well as their respective scopes, scales, and outcomes. Results and conclusions: We find that the Portland inventory both enabled integration of urban agriculture into planning and policymaking and advanced social and ecological sustainability. In Vancouver similar integration was achieved, but the smaller scope of the effort meant it did little for public involvement and social sustainability. Takeaway for practice: Other local governments considering the use of a land inventory should contemplate: (a) using the inventory process itself as a way to increase institutional awareness and political support for urban agriculture; (b) aligning urban agriculture with related sustainability goals; (c) ensuring public involvement by creating participatory mechanisms in the design and implementation of the inventory; (d) drawing on the expertise of institutional partners including universities. Research support: The Centre for Urban Health Initiativ
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    Thanks for sharing.
Metropolitan Institute

Neighborhood Revitalization and the Postindustrial City: A Multinational Perspective - 3 views

Gale, Dennis E. Neighborhood Revitalization and the Postindustrial City: A Multinational Perspective. Lexington: D.C. Heath and Company, 1984.        

neighborhood decline revitalization gentrification economics race central city case studies housing federal policy Canada Australia England Western Europe post-industrial cities displacement multinational Dennis E. Gale 1984

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
Metropolitan Institute

"Neighborhoods in the Wake of the Debacle: Intrametropolitan Patterns of Foreclosed Pro... - 1 views

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    Immergluck, Dan. "Neighborhood in the Wake of the Debacle: Intrametropolitan Patterns of Foreclosed Properties." Urban Affairs Review 46,1 (2010): 3-36. A key aspect of the U.S. subprime crisis was the accumulation of vacant, foreclosed properties in many neighborhoods and localities. This article describes zip-code-level patterns of foreclosed homes, or what are typically called "real estate owned" (REO) properties, at the peak of the subprime crisis in late 2008 and estimates a model of REO accumulation from 2006 to 2008. Three key findings emerge. First, during the peak of the subprime foreclosure crisis in late 2008, large central cities, on average, experienced higher levels of REO per mortgageable property than suburban areas. This contradicts some suggestions that the crisis was primarily centered in suburban or exurban communities. Second, the suburbanization of REO varied across two key types of metropolitan areas, with boom-bust regions experiencing more suburbanization than weak- or mixed-market metros. Finally, determinants of zip-code-level REO accumulation included high-risk lending activity and the age of housing stock. After controlling for these and other variables, neither the central city versus suburban location of a zip code nor the proportion of residents commuting over 30 minutes was significantly associated with REO growth. The intrametropolitan location of a zip code appears to have been a less important factor in REO growth than the fact that a large amount of development in newer communities was financed during the subprime boom.
Metropolitan Institute

"The New American Ghost Towns."_Many Authors [online] - 3 views

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    Hollander, Justin B., Colin Polsky, Dan Zinder, and Dan Runfola. "The New American Ghost Towns." Land Lines (2011).
Metropolitan Institute

Urban Shrinkage and City Responses: How New Bedford, Massachusetts Physically Changed F... - 3 views

Abstract: Economic decline associated with the current economic recession has hit many places hard, but few have seen a whole shift in its physical form as New Bedford. Once the whaling capital of ...

economics recession New Bedford MA case studies local government policy urban planning Justin Hollander 2011

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
Metropolitan Institute

"Beyond REO: Property Transfers at Extremely Distressed Prices in Cuyahoga County, 2005... - 2 views

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    Coulton, Claudia, Michael Schramm, and April Hirsh. "Beyond Reo: Property Transfers at Extremely Distressed Prices in Cuyahoga County, 2005-2008." Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, 2008. This report examines the trends of extremely distressed properties in Cuyahoga County between 2005- 2008 after being sold out of REO.
Metropolitan Institute

"Brownfield Development: A Comparison of North American and British Approaches"_ Many A... - 1 views

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    Adams, D., De Sousa, C. and S. Tiesdell. 2010. "Brownfield Development: A Comparison of North American and British Approaches." Urban Studies 47(1): 75-104. "Over the past 30-40 years, urban change and deindustrialisation in advanced economies have created a legacy of vacant and derelict land that is increasingly seen as a development opportunity rather than planning problem. This paper investigates how the shared challenge of bringing such brownfield sites back into productive use has been interpreted differently in four countries: the US, Canada, Scotland and England. In each case, the particular policy environment has shaped the brownfield debate in distinctive ways, producing a different set of relations between the public and private sectors in brownfield redevelopment. Through this detailed comparison of the North American and British experience, the paper traces the maturity of policy and seeks to discover whether the main differences in understanding and tackling brownfield land can be attributed primarily to physical, cultural or institutional factors."
Metropolitan Institute

"Foreclosure and Beyond: A report on ownership and housing values following sheriff's s... - 1 views

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    Coulton, Claudia, Kristen Mikelbank, and Michael Schramm. "Foreclosure and Beyond: A Report on Ownership and Housing Value Following Sheriff's Sales, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, 2000-07." Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development, 2008. "This study focuses on the cumulative effects of increasing foreclosure rates in Cleveland neighborhoods and suburban municipalities of Cuyahoga County and attempts to answer a number of questions: What entities take ownership of these foreclosed properties and for how long do they hold them? Who purchases these homes next, and how do the sales prices compare to the value of the homes prior to the time they entered the foreclosure process? And have these patterns changed as the number of properties being auctioned at sheriff's sale has skyrocketed?"
Metropolitan Institute

"Recapturing Land for Economic and Fiscal Growth" _ Mallach and Vey [online article] - 2 views

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    Vacant and abandoned properties pose challenges to city prosperity and economic health. However, these lands can be pursued as opportunities for economic and fiscal growth
Metropolitan Institute

Turning Brownfields into Green Space in the City of Toronto - 5 views

This article reviews the potential for brownfield sites to become the center of greening strategies for cities, including the creation of parks, playgrounds and trails. Ten brownfield- to - green ...

urban greening Toronto brownfield redevelopment C.A. DeSousa 2003

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
Metropolitan Institute

"Assessing the Effect of Publicly Assisted Brownfield Redevelopment on Surrounding Prop... - 1 views

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    De Sousa, C., Wu, C. and L. Westphal. 2009. "Assessing the Effect of Publicly Supported Brownfield Redevelopment on Surrounding Property Values." Economic Development Quarterly 23(2): 95-110. Abstract: "This study measures and compares the impact of publicly assisted brownfield redevelopment on nearby residential property values in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. It also examines the influence of land use, neighborhood characteristics, and other redevelopment factors on this impact. The research approach incorporates a hedonic method to quantify nearby property value effects at more than 100 brownfield projects, and stakeholder interviews are used to assess perceived impacts to real estate conditions. The results reveal that the spillover effect in terms of raising surrounding property values is significant in both quantity and geographic scope, as redevelopment led to a net increase of 11.4% in nearby housing prices in Milwaukee and 2.7% in Minneapolis. It also reveals that project size, value, and the amount of public funding have minor impacts on this effect; factors such as proximity to major roads, distance from rail, and higher incomes have greater positive impacts."
Metropolitan Institute

Land Banking and Land Banks_ F. Alexander [report] - 2 views

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    Alexander, Frank S. "Land Banks and Land Banking." 1- 120. Washington, D.C.: Center for Community Progress, 2011. This report discusses the evolution of land bank, the potential challenges that the tool faces during implementation, and possible solutions to address these challenges. The report also outlines the process for creating and operating a land bank.
Metropolitan Institute

Urban Ecology: Detroit and Beyond - 2 views

"Urban Ecology: Detroit and Beyond" compiles projects by the International Center for Urban Ecology (iCUE). Essays on Detroit and several other troubled cities are combined with non-urban and anti...

Detroit architecture urban renewal Kyong Park 2005

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
Metropolitan Institute

"A GIS-based decision support system for brownfield redevelopment."_Thomas [article] - 2 views

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    Thomas, Michael R. "A GIS-based decision support system for brownfield redevelopment." Landscape and Urban Planning 58, 1 (2002): 7-23. "To evaluate land use options with respect to brownfields inventory, characterization, and potential for redevelopment, both government and private decision makers need access to information regarding land capability; development incentives; public goals, interests, and preferences; and environmental concerns such as site contamination and environmental quality. This article discusses a decision support system that provides access to state, regional, and local geospatial databases, several informational and visualization tools, and assumptions useful in providing a better understanding of issues, options, and alternatives in redeveloping brownfields. The resultant decision support system is augmented by a unique geographic information systems-based land use modeling application as an integrated expert system." (from abstract)
Metropolitan Institute

"Community Response to the Foreclosure Crisis: Thoughts on Local Interventions."_Immerg... - 1 views

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    Immergluck, Dan. "Community Response to the Foreclosure Crisis: Thoughts on Local Interventions." Atlanta: Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, 2008. This paper describes the basic responses to the foreclosure crisis, including constraints and opportunities faced by the local government and the community as they respond to the crisis.
Metropolitan Institute

Lessons from the Field: Unlocking Economic Potential with an Environmental Key - 2 views

This book presents twenty brownfield case studies that exemplify the economic benefits of brownfield reuse. Pepper, Edith M. Lessons from the Field: Unlocking Economic Potential with an Environmen...

brownfield redevelopment reuse EPA Chicago Detroit Seattle Chattanooga Louisville Minneapolis St.Paul economics green jobs public-private partnerships financing cleanup programs case studies Edith M. Pepper 1997

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
Metropolitan Institute

Brownfields Redevelopment and the Quest for Sustainability - 3 views

De Sousa, C. 2008. Brownfields Redevelopment and the Quest for Sustainability. (London: Elsevier Science/Emerald Group Publishing, Current Issues in Urban and Regional Studies Series, Volume 3).

brownfield redevelopment C. DeSousa 2008

started by Metropolitan Institute on 04 Jan 12 no follow-up yet
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