Released in March 2003, this paper from the Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy at the Brookings Institute deals with the persistent phenomenon of office sprawl throughout much of South Florida. Authored by Robert E. Lang, the 12-page report demonstrates that the majority of office employment in the area is located in "Edgeless Cities," a form of small-scale and scattered development that...

The ability to witness the streets of 19th century Boston would be quite a treat for those who love urban geography and history. This well-done set of documents from the digital collection from Tufts University makes that possible (in a fashion). The project was created with support from a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, along with funds provided by The...

Throughout the twentieth century, numerous commentators, pundits, and scholars have proffered numerous strategies for maintaining the vitality and economic growth of urban areas. Some of the more traditional forms of economic development have included the construction of sports facilities, festival marketplaces, and new buildings for established cultural institutions, such as art museums and opera...

Drawing on the expertise of a team of editors who reside in Britain, Germany, Spain, Mexico, France, and a number of other countries, the City Mayors organization is an "international network of professionals working to promote strong cities and good local government." Their website takes on all of the important urban issues of the day, including governance, affordable housing, sustainable...

How do social ideals and structural ideals combine to transform our cities and spaces? As this article last featured in the 09-06-2019 Scout Report concludes: "From ancient Rome to modern Atlanta, the shape of cities has been defined by the technologies that allow commuters to get to work in about 30 minutes." For many people, commuting to work is an almost ubiquitous daily occurrence that most...

Urbanologists and other types have been interested in the interactions between different groups of people in cities for hundreds of years. There is quite a broad literature on studying different types of communities and public spaces, and this recent paper from the Demos group in the United Kingdom adds to that body of work. This 40-page report was first published in July 2007, and it was authored...

Based in New York, the people behind the Green Atlas have been going "green" since 1995. The Green Map system is an "adaptable framework for charting nature and culture in hometown environments." Recently, they published the Green Map Atlas, and now visitors can access the entire publication on this site. The Atlas includes maps of Jakarta, Kyoto, New York, Milwaukee, Toronto, and six other areas...

The oft-studied phenomenon of population dispersal from central city areas has often solely focused on examining the massive migration to suburban areas, but fewer scholars have examined decentralization trends within major central city areas. Written by Alan Berube and Benjamin Forman (under the auspices of the Brookings Institution), this 20-page report details the primary findings of their...

Cities around the world have served as the primary repositories for human culture, innovation, and diversity for millennia, so it makes sense that there is a worldwide organization dedicated to some of these important historic places. Founded in 1993, the Organization of World Heritage Cities (OWHC) consists of 208 cities, which have a combined population of 125 million. Some of their programs...

There has been a good deal of talk about the notion of smart growth among those in the planning community, and recent works have suggested that mainstream America is becoming more intrigued by this form of managed growth and development. Some of the tenets of this movement include creating walkable neighborhoods, fostering distinctive communities, and creating a range of housing opportunities and...