Social / Demographics

Survey Examines the Differences and Commonalities Between Urban and Rural Communities
A big new study by the Pew Research Center examines the ties that bind, and the differences that threaten to tear us apart.

Kaiser Permanente to Fund Housing Efforts in Eight States
The healthcare provider's decision to spend $200 million on housing programs reflects the growing awareness of the intersectionality of housing and health.

Black in White Space
Elijah Anderson writes that a spate of highly publicized recent incidents has highlighted the frequent racial targeting that blacks face as they live, work, study and otherwise navigate “white spaces.”

The Endangered Rent-Stabilized Apartment in New York City
Laws that control rent-stabilized apartments have been weakened over the last 25 years while the surging economy drives many of these units into the free market.
Fertility Rates, Birth Rates, Births Fell to Record Lows in U.S. Last Year
Births and birth rates dropped to a 30-year low, not an issue of concern yet, but if the trend continues, the U.S. could join other developed nations that must deal with the consequences of an aging population. Immigration plays an uncertain factor.

In Texas, More Sprawl Means More Homes in the Path of Tornadoes
Revisiting one day in 2012, a reporter finds that many of the Dallas-Fort Worth areas affected by the storms were barely inhabited 20 years ago.

L.A.'s Anti-Density Advocate Still Hopes to Make Planners 'Uncomfortable'
One of the main forces behind Measure S spills her thoughts on Hollywood, homelessness and what’s wrong with planning in Los Angeles.

The Cost of Solving Homelessness in Seattle: $400 Million
It’s "dramatically higher" than any number under discussion, and not even close to what the city will raise with its new tax on large businesses.

A New 'City Health Dashboard' for 500 U.S. Cities
The new City Health Dashboard might be the first time many communities have had access to a treasure trove of public health data at the click of a mouse button.

'Little Evidence of a Substantial Cultural Turn' Away from Driving Among Millennials
According to an analysis of U.S. National Travel Surveys, the Millennial preference for non-automotive travel is mostly hype. Millennials show behavior similar to other age groups and respond to the economy.

The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town
Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.

Defeating SB 827 Did Not Discourage the YIMBY Movement
Though the California housing bill was a high-profile failure for pro-development activists, there are initiatives all over the country that carry its spirit.

Bay Area Home Prices Rise Despite Out-Migration
Kathleen Pender, business columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, points to two reasons why home prices rise amidst a Bay Area exodus to other states. On a state level, out-migration shows California's strong but dysfunctional economy.

California Population Grows to 39,810,000 in 2017
California added 309,000 residents last year, an 8 percent drop compared to annual increases since 2010. The state added a net 85,000 housing units, accounting for losses to wildfires.

Why Equity Groups Opposed California Legislation to Increase Housing Production
YIMBYs don't understand poverty, claimed one social justice group. Few, if any, connections with equity groups and too many with tech companies may have helped doom SB 827's chances of making it to first base in the legislature this year.

Formerly Redlined Denver Neighborhoods Are Now Gentrification Hotspots
Prices remain depressed in most formerly redlined neighborhoods, but several such areas in Denver now boast higher home values than the city as a whole.

Insurance Institute: Pedestrian Fatalities Jump 46 Percent from 2009
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study on May 8 that attributes the increased number of pedestrians killed in part to road design that allows for higher speeds, fewer intersections and pedestrian crossings and more SUVs.

Concerns About Census 2020, As Told by GIFs
Interested observers have been sounding the alarms about the federal government's readiness and commitment level for the 2020 Census.

Lawsuit Challenges the Trump Administration's Approach to Fair Housing
Housing Advocates have filed a lawsuit to press the Department of Housing and Urban Development to enforce requirements of the Fair Housing Act.

Millennials Moving to Mid-Size Cities
Jobs and cheap housing give some small cities a big appeal for folks in their 20s and 30s.
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