Social / Demographics

Not All Mid-Sized Local Economies Are Alike
The research director of the National League of Cities explains the defining characteristics of local economies—namely that of five distinct kinds of local economies, three serve to distinguish the nuances between mid-sized cities.

For Discussion: Why Are More Millennials Choosing the Suburbs?
A trio of journalists gathers to discuss statistics that show the trends of U.S. population growth has shifted to suburban areas.

Want Strangers to Trust Each Other? Paint Crosswalks in Rainbows
People say they're more confident that their lost wallets would be returned or that they would meet a friend on a corner that had a rainbow-painted crosswalk.

Do Confederate Statues Belong in Public Spaces?
In the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville, resulting from the gathering of white supremacists and neo-Nazis, American cities are rethinking whether statues honoring the heroes of the Confederacy belong in public spaces.

How People Will See the Eclipse Today
A 33-year GIS professional lets loose his geospatial and population analysis skills on the occasion of a lifetime: today's "Great American Eclipse."

Gentrification and Controversy in the Bronx
Forty years ago, the Bronx was burning. But now gentrification is well underway, and one big developer is encountering pushback. Holding a "Bronx is burning" promo event probably didn't help.

Night Mayors Come to America
The Night Mayor, a position first created in Amsterdam, has been taken up by cities around the world, first in Europe and now in more and more American cities.

More Than Infrastructure Needed for Minority Bike Adoption
Latino and black communities are more likely to cite racial profiling or crime as a deterrent to cycling, according to a recent study.

When Men Control the Debate About the Future of Cities
Essential reading from Alissa Walker.
The 'Steady Decline' of Suburban America
Al Jazeera created a video that documents the decline of suburbia.

Is There a Perfect Density?
This post offers a critique of claims that there is an ideal, "Goldilocks density."

Aurora Rising
This rapidly diversifying community is one to watch as planning for cultural inclusion, social equity, and environmental sustainability become priorities for the American city.

Ensuring Newark's Revival Doesn't Make it the Next Brooklyn
New Jersey's largest city is celebrating a downtown revival, but city leaders want to ensure that Newark avoids the displacement that often accompanies revitalization.

Identifying the Populations Most Vulnerable to 'Extreme Heat Events'
New research published in Applied Geography is a first step toward planning for the resilience of vulnerable populations as the heat rises in urban areas.

New Levels of Car Dependence Follow Seattle's Growth
By any measure, Seattle is growing at a breakneck pace. But with those new residents come cars, and all the infrastructure and land use inefficiencies they bring.

California Cities Continue to Criminalize Homelessness with RV Bans
Coastal cities are taking a no-tolerance approach to RVs on their streets, even as they otherwise strive to mitigate and prevent homelessness.

Detroit's Future
By 2040, Detroit will be bigger, more urban, older, and whiter predicts a report from the New Urban Institute that looks at trends, challenges, and assets of the Michigan city.

Impacts of AVs and E-Commerce on Municipal Budgets
A new report from Urbanism Next/SCI takes you through a city’s budget—both revenues and expenditures—and describes the areas that will be affected as AVs become commonplace and e-commerce takes on an even larger role in retail

On Poverty's New Suburban Look
Author Scott Allard debunks lingering myths about how people experience poverty in cities. Poverty's suburbanization, he argues, has more to do with the loss of jobs than migration from "inner cities."

Quebec Olympic Stadium Now a Shelter for Asylum Seekers from the U.S.
The government of Canada is scrambling to build a policy in response to growing numbers of asylum seekers crossing the border between the United States and Canada.
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