Placemaking & Community Planning News

Placemaking and Community Planning for Sustainable, Vibrant Living

Scenic America believes that everyone has the right to live, work, and play in beautiful places. It is why we promote strong communities with character and sustainable development…

“Righting a Wrong” in Savannah, GA: Community Plans to Remove…

In a significant win for the community character and scenic beauty of Savannah, GA, the city was recently awarded a substantial grant to plan the removal of the…

The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 6: Pay Attention…

The sixth installment of Ed McMahon’s “Secrets of Successful Communities” series considers the important role that community aesthetics play in development.

The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 5: Cooperate With…

Successful communities know that today’s world requires cooperation with regional neighbors for mutual benefit. They also understand that very few small towns have the resources, by themselves, to…

The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 4: Pick and…

All development is not created equal. Some development projects will make a community a better place to live, work, and visit. Other development projects will not.

The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 3: Use Education…

Successful communities use education, incentives, partnerships, and voluntary initiatives not just regulation. To be sure, land use regulations and ordinances are essential to protecting public health and to…

The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 2: Inventory Community…

Creating a vision for the future begins by inventorying a community’s assets: natural, architectural, human, educational, economic, and so on.

The Secrets of Successful Communities – Part 1: Have a…

Successful communities always have a plan for the future. Unfortunately, “planning” is a dirty word in some communities, especially in small towns and rural areas. In some places,…