Social / Demographics

San Francisco Rejects Environmental Review for Lack of Gentrification Analysis
In what could be a first, but potential not a last, the power of the California Environmental Quality Act was invoked in San Francisco with regard to concerns about gentrification.

Syrian Refugees in Small Town Vermont
Rutland, Vermont is scheduled to become home to 100 Syrian refugees, a prospect that has awoken passionate responses from the town's residents.

King County Expands Fare-Free Transit for Riders in Need
The victory for homeless and very low-income transit riders is a reminder of the importance of grassroots organizing.
What Mobility Leaders Think About Car Connectivity
As autonomous vehicles prepare to disrupt transportation systems, Ford Motors President & CEO Mark Fields, L.A Chief Sustainability Officer Matt Petersen, and rideshare company Chariot co-founder Ali Vahabzadeh opine on tomorrow's mobility ecosystem.

Why Bother with Community Engagement?
What is the highest purpose of community engagement? Why do some planners go all out to hear from the public? This article dives into these questions based on nine interviews conducted at APA 2016.

Friday Eye Candy: Turning Gentrification Data Into Art
Herwig Scherabon is a graphic designer featured this week in The Guardian.

White Voters and Polarization: Can We Span the Racial Divide by Emphasizing Shared Interests?
Dowell Myers reflects on an article from the Journal of Planning Education and Research in light of the recent presidential election.
Cincinnati welcomes artists leaving the coasts
For the founders of young art center Wave Pool, Cincinnati offers opportunities unmatched by the coastal cultural meccas.

An Uncertain Future: America's Urban Middle Class
In the election's wake, Richard Florida compiles some telling statistics on the nation's threatened middle class. It's on the decline, yes, but it's also becoming more segregated into certain cities, often in the Sunbelt and Rust Belt.
Cities Can't Afford To Be 'Data Poor'
Fundamentally, we are at a critical turning point in terms of how we think about data and how we use data for governments and cities as well as businesses and other institutions.

Where Millennials are Moving To and Leaving From
Apartment List has published research showing the top destination cities for those 19 to 35 years of age based on ten years of census data from 2005-2010. Among the top 10 destinations, only three were on East and West coasts.

Land Use Planning for and by Indigenous People
A new book examines the potential for coexistence between indigenous people and the post-development ethos of 21st century planning practice. Canada and Australia provide the case studies, but surely U.S. planners should also heed these lessons.
Albanian Mayor Curbs Pollution With Data and Children's Help
As mayor of Tirana, Albania, Erion Veliaj has introduced alternatives modes of transport to the city’s traffic-clogged streets and made the public a full partner in the process.
WMATA Stepping Up Efforts to End Sexual Assaults on Transit Lines
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) recently launched a new campaign to combat sexual harassment and assault—especially toward some of the most marginalized members of the community.
Report Finds Rising Poverty in Greater Houston
The Kinder Institute reveals a "stunning trend" of poverty spreading around Houston.

Visualizing Gentrification in 9 Cities
A new atlas explores the multiple causes of gentrification through bold graphics and data visualizations.
Exploring the National Equity Atlas
Online mapping platforms are continuing to find new and improved ways to represent the inequities of American society.

Poverty in the United States Explained
The Brookings Institution has provided a data-driven examination of the subject of poverty in the United States, to provide the kind of policy nuance and detail missing from the 2016 presidential campaign.

14,000 Homeless Women and Counting in Los Angeles County
The number of homeless women living in Los Angeles County has increased 55 percent since 2013. Women account for one in three homeless people in the county.
Good for the Planet—and the Real Estate Industry?
Climate change is the new reality, and building owners and developers that want to remain in business need to adapt. So says a recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) report that calls last year's Paris agreement "a potential game changer."
Pagination
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie