Last week, China deployed six million workers for a 10-day effort to count the country's population. A surge in citizens relocating from rural to urban areas makes the task difficult, reports the Economist.
Many of the estimated 145 million Chinese who move from the countryside to cities for more than six months of the year are hesitant to report their change of location, hoping to avoid bureaucratic measures and potential fees involved in registering a new address. The issue also impacted China's last census in 2000, as internal state control of migration first loosened. The Economist says the situation will likely lead to an undercount of the country's population, which was approximately 1.33 billion at the end of 2009.
Despite methodological approaches intended to account for migrants, the official results--to be made public in April--will no doubt be controversial, says the Economist:
"In this census, migrants will be counted both in their home town and in their new city so that figures can be cross-checked. Foreigners will be included for the first time. But academics say census data are still being moulded to fit official projections."
FULL STORY: The world's biggest headcount

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie