The issue of population growth and its impact on society has been a taboo for decades. Neal Peirce jumps head first into this thorny issue.
"For years, in company with most journalists, I've been ducking the population issue. We Americans seem to have it on our DNA - we believe that all economic development and growth, no matter the consequences, is a positive thing.
But a new article by seasoned environmental writer Tom Horton - "Growing! Growing! Gone! The Chesapeake Bay and the Myth of Endless Growth" - brings me up short.
The once-acclaimed federal-state campaign to restore the Chesapeake, now in its 25th year with billions of dollars invested, notes Horton, is in shambles. Its 2010 deadline for cleaner water won't be met, blue crabs are at an historic low, and nitrogen, the Bay's dominant pollutant, remains double healthy levels.
And it's all about people, suggests Horton. From 8 million people in the 1950s, the population of the Bay's six-state, 64,000 square mile watershed has ballooned to 17 million, with 1.7 million more coming each year."
Read the full story: Population Control: Important After All
Is the built environment partly to blame for population decline?
The way communities are designed could be contributing to lower birth rates.
US Population Growth Slowest Since 2020 Due to Declining Immigration
Net international migration dropped from 2.7 million to 1.3 million in the year spanning July 2024 to July 2025.
Adult Immigration to the US Dropped by Over 1.4M in 2025
Mass deportations and stricter immigration restrictions are causing a drop in new immigrants.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Study reveals best places in the U.S. for cycling, walking
New research from Streetlight Data examines bicycle and pedestrian miles per capita in the 100 largest U.S. cities by population.
DSA members accuse Mamdani of 'abandoning values' over housing redevelopment
New York City's mayor plans to replace about 2,000 units of public housing with private, mixed-income housing.
All sides of BRT debate unhappy with CDOT’s most recent move
The Colorado Department of Transportation is no longer considering center-running bus lanes for Colorado Boulevard.
Massachusetts bogs generate both power, and cranberries
Putting solar panels above farmland is one way Massachusetts is advancing toward its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello