Social / Demographics

Cities from India to Syria to Hungary can claim to be the world's oldest continually inhabited city, with permanent habitation going back more than 4,000 years. But when the evidence is thousands of years old, the title becomes elusive.

February 22, 2015 - The Guardian

A recent article in Washington City Paper pushes back on the notion that the ill effects of gentrification are overblown. Resurgent cities must, according to the article, find ways to achieve the benefits of gentrification—without the displacement.

February 22, 2015 - Washington City Paper

To build ties to its neighbors, a young arts organization embarked on a sprawling multimedia project exploring the past and present of Williamsburg's Latino community.

February 20, 2015 - Satellite Magazine

An interview with Joel Russell, executive director of the Form-Based Codes Institute.

February 19, 2015 - AARP

A controversial zoning decision paved the way for a large assisted living facility in Alexandria, Virginia. The need for such a drastic measures reflects a growing need to plan for aging populations.

February 18, 2015 - Alexandria Times

How can we redirect our city building into a form that can handle the expected doubling of urban residents over the next 40 years? Great ideas can be found in this collection of soundbites from the film, "The Human Scale."

February 17, 2015 - PlaceShakers

Research published by Governing Magazine finds that Portland, Oregon is the U.S. city with the highest degree of gentrification in this century.

February 17, 2015 - Fusion

Many rankings try to tell parents where the best places are to raise their kids. But measures that focus solely on narrow criteria like safety and schools often ignore the benefits of diverse, vibrant urban environments.

February 17, 2015 - Family Friendly Cities

Gentrification has famously, and controversially, changed the face of many neighborhoods. Less well known is the process that geographer Markus Moos calls "youthification," in which neighborhoods don't become richer so much as they become younger.

February 17, 2015 - CityLab

In two parts, NPR's City Project examines Austin's premier mixed-use urban village built on the 700-acre site of the former Robert Mueller Municipal Airport which relocated in 1999. Part 2 is about racial tensions that have surfaced in the community.

February 16, 2015 - NPR

We at Planetizen hope that there's lots of love in your day today.

February 14, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

The second and final post about MoMa's exhibit, "Uneven Growth: Tactical Urbanisms for Expanding Megacities."

February 13, 2015 - Mike Lydon

Cities vie for all sorts of distinctions: greenest; friendliest; wealthiest; most innovative. Portland, Maine, is just tickled to bits about topping the "Top-10 Coziest Cities in America." Added bonus: it beat out its regional arch-rival Boston.

February 13, 2015 - Boston.com

A report by New York University’s Furman Center found that renters made up the majority of households in nine of the 11 largest cities in the U.S. in 2013, up from five in 2006. The demand is straining the supply of rental housing.

February 10, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Planners have good reason to be thoughtful on the occasion of Black History Month. One blogger offers reflections and insight that should inspire thoughtfulness the rest of the year, too.

February 8, 2015 - Rebuilding Place in the Urban Space

A column in The Week argues that notwithstanding Tuesday's horrific crash of a Metro-North train that killed five passengers, rail is a much safer mode than driving. However, rail deaths are increasing.

February 8, 2015 - The Week

Movoto has produced a pair of rankings: "The 10 Nerdiest Cities in America" and "The 10 Nerdiest Small Cities in America." According to the lists, there must be something in the water in Georgia.

February 6, 2015 - Movoto Blog

Amid the constant battle between Seattle and Portland, Seattle-based writer Eric Scigliano responds to an Oregonian article praising Seattle's transit system. Praise is all right, writes Scigliano, but the Oregonian missed a few lowlights.

February 5, 2015 - Crosscut

Governing's recent study of gentrification systematically exaggerates gentrification in a variety of ways.

February 2, 2015 - Michael Lewyn

The Brooklyn Development Center will close Dec. 31. The closure of the state facility is part of a long term goal of deinstitutionalizing the developmentally disabled and integrating them in the community in group homes.

February 2, 2015 - The New York Times - N.Y. / Region