Story of the Week

Selling the Dream: Comprehensive Community Development
   The president of St. Louis-based nonprofit redevelopment organization Urban Strategies Inc. was on the verge of securing financing for a much-needed early childhood education center in one of the poorest zip codes in Missouri when nearly $4 million in financial commitments from private donors for the center vanished following the financial collapse of the U.S. housing market.
posted 5/17/13 09:16 AM  read complete story

Wyoming City Gets Creative in Quest for Sustainable Affordable Housing
   Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA) has developed the state's first LEED-certified multi-family affordable housing complex. The agency plans to use the project, which is located in Casper, as a model for other sustainable, affordable housing developments.
posted 5/10/13 12:14 PM  read complete story

Disaster Recovery Planning: Doing It Now Beats Doing It Later
   While it may surprise many people, the aftermath of a natural disaster can provide positive benefits for a community, especially if that community properly executes a disaster recovery plan, experts say.
posted 5/3/13 1:39 PM  read complete story

Spotlight on Innovative Development: DC's Howard Theatre
   The recent renovation of the historic Howard Theatre in Washington, DC has resulted in creation of a theater space with the potential to become a catalyst for additional community development in the area.
posted 5/3/13 1:03 PM  read complete story

Toll Lanes Seen Capable of Supporting Community Development
   Charging people to use roads and highways is growing in popularity across the country. There are currently 36 so-called "price-managed lane" projects across 10 states which are operating or in development. Cities such as Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver an Washington, DC, all have such transit options.
posted 4/25/13 2 PM  read complete story

Anchor Institution Leaders Share Best Practices in Community Development
   "Anchor institutions" have the capacity to rejuvenate and catalyze neighborhood development and change precisely because their position in communities means that they won't leave.
posted 4/19/13 06:18 AM  read complete story

Community Development Central to Obama's 2014 Budget
   The Wednesday (April 10) release of President Obama's proposed 2014 budget place community development issues on the proverbial front burner, with job creation and manufacturing cited as key areas for the White House's budget priorities.
posted 4/10/13 2:15 PM  read complete story

Newark Works to Revitalize Underused Park
   Years in the making, developers hope the project will turn a largely deserted park into a destination for the city's downtown workers and residents. And like other park-oriented developments around the nation, the Newark park could spur additional development in the area.
posted 4/5/13 10:26 AM  read complete story

Access to Financial, Technical Resources Key for Rural Development
   A recent panel at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition's 2013 Conference focuses on the role of anchor institutions in leveraging resources for jobs and other sustainable development practices. Unfortunately, the event included no discussion about how rural locations, often isolated from such institutions, can form similar partnerships.
posted 3/25/13 06:44 AM  read complete story

The Once and Future Rethinking of Community Reinvestment
   This year's conference, themed, "A Just Economy: Building Community Prosperity from the Ground Up," brings together national practitioners to share best practices in community development, including creating more sustainable and thriving communities.
posted 3/21/13 3:17 PM  read complete story