Month: March 2012

Breaking free of the Growth Planning Paradigm

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APA’s PAS Reports (Cities in Transition, PAS 568) (Sustaining Places, PAS 567) In a recent APA Sustaining Places blog by David Morely (“Is Growth a Prerequisite for Long-Term Community Health and Prosperity?”), the old assumptions of growth and decline of cities and communities in relationship to their health and prosperity are revisited.  David discusses how the growth oriented planning
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Good News From A Servicer

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If you haven’t seen the Shelterforce interview with Ocwen CEO, Ron Faris, see it here. Faris looked early at what was happening to loan collateral on streets and in neighborhoods in 2004 and attributes Ocwen’s early progressive approach to loan modification, including principal reduction, to a recognition of realities on the ground.  True, the GSEs
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REO to Rental — A Good Idea?

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Professionals in neighborhood development organizations, code enforcement and eviction courts have unhesitatingly panned the concept of putting vacant REO housing into the hands of national corporate landlords.  The main beneficiaries of this may be civil rights and tenant rights attorneys in states where they can get fees from landlords in litigation. The enthusiasm for the
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Distressed Cities

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Distressed Cities 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.
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Investing in Healthy, Sustainable Places through Urban Agriculture

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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. For the full report, click: Investing in Healthy, Sustainable Places
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