Social / Demographics

Houston's Lower-Income and Minority Communities Face Lack of Access to Medical Care
Maps showing the concentration of medical facilities in Houston, shows a greater density in higher-income areas.
Protecting the Lungs of Children by Improving School Location
With the national spotlight rightfully focused on the irreversible effects of lead in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan, another insidious threat remains: motor vehicle emissions affecting children's lungs.

Population Growth Shifts to Urban Virginia
Newly released data from the Weldon Cooper Center's Demographics Research Group shows a state shifting in population growth northward—toward Washington D.C. and inner ring suburbs.

The New Political Map of the United States
A new book published by the Pew Research Center details the demographic changes that will shape the politics—beyond presidential elections—of the future.

Friday Eye Candy: Mapping the Least Dense Places in the U.S.
A map-making effort by The Washington Post's Wonkblog puts the Western United States' population, or lack thereof, in perspective.
How to Help Seniors Rock City Life
A new report issued by McGraw Hill Financial Global Institute provides new thinking about how to create "age-friendly cities."

The Plan to Bring 50,000 People Back to Akron, Ohio
Down to a population of 197,859 from its 1960 peak of 290,351, the city of Akron is looking for a way to bring people back to its community. One thing Akron has going for it already: an enthusiastic champion of the cause.
Building Children Out of Our Cities
It's been said that children are the indicator species of urban health and great neighborhoods. By this measure, Oakland is in trouble.
Charrette: A Social Innovation Lab
When charrettes and public design workshops reach their most inclusive and transparent forms, do they become social innovation labs? Hazel Borys thinks so.
An Appreciation of the 'Edgy Outskirts'
Long abused by those who favor more urban settings, the suburbs of major metropolitan areas should receive more credit for their cultural capital, according to this article written for Zócalo Public Square.
The Big Debate: How Urban Is Job Growth?
Jed Kolko, former Chief Economist and VP of Analytics at Trulia, and Joe Cortright of City Observatory dug deep into a debate that gets at the heart of recent trends in how and where the United States works.
Data Plus Community: A Winning Formula for Green Infrastructure
These days, Big Data is the topic at hand, but Arup's Vincent Lee says data analysis can only go so far. He uses his work on the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program to illustrate why a "human element" is crucial to finding solutions.

Friday Funny: A History of Political Cartoons on the Subject of Gentrification
Cartoonists have been satirizing the issue of gentrification for almost a century. Witness the evolution of gentrification political cartoons in an article by The Guardian.
Demographic Changes Spell Trouble Ahead for Auto Industry
It's not only young adults who are delaying in getting drivers licenses, but a drop in licenses among all age groups according to a new analysis of license data from 1983-2014 by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.
Mortality Rate Increases Dramatically Among 25-34 Year-Old White Men and Women
Similar to a recent Nobel Prize-winning study that showed increased deaths in middle-aged whites from heroin, opiates, and alcohol, a New York Times analysis shows that deaths for whites aged 25 to 34 from drug overdoses has reached historic levels.

6 Ways Local Governments Can Prepare For the Arrival of New Migrants
At the UN’s Habitat III conference taking place this fall in Quito, Ecuador, the role of cities in addressing the movement of migrants will be a primary topic of discussion.

Getting Residents Engaged in Participatory Mapping
Participatory mapping has become an increasingly popular planning tool. The examples that follow highlight how communities are using participatory mapping.

Australian Cities Seek Out Design Solutions to Drunken Street Brawling
Faced with the calamity of drunken fisticuffs breaking out when the bars let out for the night, Sydney launched some common sense solutions to calm the hordes of angry drunks.
New Research Explains Why Only Some Neighborhoods Get Bike Infrastructure
Canadian researchers made the case at the Transportation Research Board this past week that improved bike infrastructure and neighborhood gentrification go hand in hand. They used research gathered fromi Portland and Chicago.
GE Relocates HQ from Suburban Connecticut to Boston
GE is abandoning its 68-acre suburban campus in Fairfield, Conn. for Boston's Seaport District. As WBUR's technology reporter, Curt Nickisch put it, "Today's knowledge workers want bike racks and subway stops not country clubs and parking garages."
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
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