Social / Demographics

Arlington Virginia

What the New Census Data Reveals About the Urban Suburban Divide

Newly released population data provides entre for a discussion about the nature of cities.

May 22, 2015 - FiveThirtyEight

Growth Chart

U.S. Census Releases 2014 Population Estimates

The U.S. Census Bureau's 2014 population estimates shows persistent trends of growth in the Sun Belt along with a few other noteworthy data points.

May 21, 2015 - U.S. Census Bureau

Pronto Bikeshare

Why Bikeshare Doesn't Appeal to Low-Income Commuters

While bikeshare garners a lot of attention from the white and wealthy, it is a less obvious choice for low-income communities. Difficulties include weather, time constraints, and overall demand for non-auto modes.

May 19, 2015 - Vox

'General Welfare' for the Next Generation

The "health, safety, and general welfare" of our communities are poorly served by the outcomes of the status quo.

May 19, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Op-Ed: Charge Drivers by the Gallon, Not by the Mile

Ben Adler of Grist makes a convincing case of why we should stick with gas taxes and not switch to a road usage charge, as Oregon will do July 1 in a limited program. Tax what you burn, not by how much you drive, he argues, to get the best results.

May 18, 2015 - Grist

Chicago Metra and Highway

How Urban Diversity Equals Neighborhood Segregation

Statistics sage Nate Silver crunches the numbers illustrating the relationship between U.S. cities' overall diversity and their neighborhood diversity. His conclusion: the greater diversity, the greater the segregation.

May 18, 2015 - FiveThirtyEight

Young Family

Will Young Families Stay in Cities?

With their reputation for decent schools, lower crime, and affordable housing, suburbs can be an attractive prospect for young families. Can cities retain that demographic? Should they?

May 16, 2015 - The Washington Post

Chicago Bus

Seattle Lowers Transit Fares for Low-Income Residents

Joining Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, and Kansas City, Seattle now offers reduced bus fares to low-income residents. Some worry the program entrenches class differences and doesn't truly aid social mobility.

May 14, 2015 - Governing

Controversial Housing Moratorium Proposed for San Francisco's Mission District

San Francisco Supervisor David Campos, who represents the popular Mission District, has proposed a 45-day moratorium on market-rate, multifamily residential development. A ballot measure is possible.

May 12, 2015 - San Francisco Examiner

drinking water fountain

The Equity of Tiered Water Pricing

A tale of two water-parched cities, one in California, the other in New Mexico, and the critical role played by tiered water pricing. Long known as an effective economic strategy to reduce consumption, tiered pricing also influences equity.

May 7, 2015 - The New York Times

Graffiti and Family

Building the Inclusive City

Income inequality, housing affordability, and residential segregation are big challenges that require more self-critical analysis and less civic self-promotion.

May 7, 2015 - Dean Saitta

Highlights from CNU 23 Dallas

Having just wrapped up a great CNU in Dallas, April 29 through May 2, a collection of urbanists share some of the ideas that resonated the most.

May 6, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Washington, D.C.'s Downtown Playground Desert

D.C.'s fast-growing downtown neighborhoods have new restaurants, offices and apartments—but few playgrounds. With thousands of children expected to be born in the District in the next five years, where will they all play?

May 5, 2015 - Elevation DC

Study Finds New Evidence that Place Determines Income Mobility

A new study by Harvard economists provides the best evidence yet that where children grow up matters to the outcomes of their lives.

May 4, 2015 - New York Times

Reno Sign

Nevada's Most Interesting City: Reno

Long considered a desert backwater and second fiddle to Las Vegas, the city of Reno is having a resurgence. Small entrepreneurs, industrial giants like Tesla, and artists inspired by Burning Man are converging to overshadow the fading casino economy.

May 4, 2015 - Next City

Beverly Hills Fountain

How Capitalists View Cities

The Milken Institute Global Conference brought hoards of business leaders to Beverly Hills last week. Sessions included some high praise for cities and buoyant predictions about innovation, development, and accommodating six billion city-dwellers.

May 4, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

Report: E-Cigarette Use Triples Among Teens

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13% of high school age students used e-cigarettes in 2014, up from 4% in 2013. Regulation is being developed, but health effects and related tobacco usage implications are not clear.

May 3, 2015 - USA Today

Place de la Republique

The Difficult Task of Creating Topophilia

The Project for Public Spaces celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, spanning a seismic shift from modernist planning and urban decay of the 1970s to the urban resurgence and focus on smart growth of today. PPS's Ethan Kent reflects.

May 2, 2015 - Policy Innovations

Diversity Trending the Wrong Direction for D.C.'s Capital Bikeshare

The diversity gap between the population of Washington, D.C. and the membership of its model bikeshare system is well established, but it's also getting worse.

April 30, 2015 - The Washington Post

Bracing for Gentrification in Houston's Near Northside

The average median price for home in Houston's Near Northside jumped from $49,500 in 2010 to $80,000 last year. Can these predominantly Latino neighborhoods retain their character as they change?

April 30, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.