Social / Demographics

Bikes Become Target of Conservatives' Vitriol

Is biking a partisan past time? If you listen to conservative leaders, you might think bikes were created as part of a liberal mission to spread socialism and curtail personal freedoms. Cycling is the unlikely new front in the culture wars.

December 16, 2013 - The Boston Globe

38.2 Million Californians: Fastest Growth in a Decade

After years of lower-than-normal population growth, more foreign immigrants are coming to California. The new residents contributed to a 332,000 increase in the state's population, the largest in nearly a decade, says the Calif. Dept. of Finance.

December 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

L.A. Union Station's Pilot Program Discriminates Against Subway Passengers

Los Angeles’s Union Station is trying something new to keep the homeless at bay: restricting waiting room seating to ticketed passengers.

December 15, 2013 - LA Streetsblog

Happy City Highlights

Hazel Borys shines today's PlaceShaker spotlight on "Happy City" by Charles Montgomery. Check it out and you'll be questioning our collective priorities in no time. C'mon get happy!

December 15, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Bike Share's Demographic Challenge

Bike share is in some ways the opposite of public transit, from a demographic perspective. While transit is often disproportionately patronized by low income riders, bike share is overwhelmingly avoided by that same group. NPR looks for the reasons.

December 13, 2013 - NPR

Food Pantry

American Cities Face Rising Hunger and Homelessness Crisis

Despite economic improvement across the country, a recent survey of 25 American cities finds homelessness and hunger are on the rise. With the federal government cutting resources, providing for the neediest is expected to be harder next year.

December 12, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Summit Prescribes Walking as America's "Wonder Drug"

At America's first ever "Walking Summit", physicians, planners, developers, and community activists gathered to discuss how physical activity can help heal people and communities.

December 12, 2013 - PPS Placemaking Blog

Is Washington A Childless City?

Some media commentary suggests that fast-gentrifying cities such as Washington are unable to attract families. In Washington, the reality is more complex; the city's high-income neighborhoods actually gained children over the past decade.

December 11, 2013 - Michael Lewyn

Tougher Driving Laws Prevent Deaths, So Why Don't States Adopt Them?

A new study that compares how each of the 50 states regulates dangerous motorist behaviors has found that those with the toughest laws have the least traffic deaths. So why don't more states adopt “evidence-based policies”?

December 11, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Top Books

Top 10 Books - 2014

Planetizen is pleased to release its twelfth annual list of the ten best books in urban planning, design and development published in 2013.

December 11, 2013 - Jonathan Nettler

Undoing the Spatial Legacy of Apartheid

In manicured neighborhoods for white residents and their "shriveled twins" for black residents, South Africa's nearly 50 years of Apartheid was imprinted on the nation's built landscape. To what extent was Nelson Mandela able to right these wrongs?

December 10, 2013 - ArchDaily

Suburban Office Building

Large Companies Moving Back to Cities

The movement stems from demographic changes in the work force. For companies seeking younger hires, they need to go to where they prefer to live. Suburban campuses may be replaced by urban headquarters or the addition of satellite offices in cities.

December 10, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Researchers Say Two Simple Rules Can Predict Urban Growth

Is it possible to predict when and how cities will grow? A group of researchers in France say the answer is yes.

December 9, 2013 - Next City

Social Impact Bonds Aim to Attract Investment in Public Health

A pilot project hopes to pioneer a new type of investment by alleviating asthma among lower-income children. Project developers hope the Fresno Asthma Impact Model could become a national model for improving health and reducing costs.

December 7, 2013 - The Fresno Bee

Pick to Head NYPD Seen as Street Safety Ally

With traffic deaths in New York City approaching falling homicide rates, calls for improving road safety are increasing. William Bratton, the former and future NYPD Commissioner, has signaled street safety will be a priority, exciting advocates.

December 6, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

Obama Takes on Inequality

In a major economic speech delivered yesterday, President Obama called America's growing inequality and lack of upward mobility “the defining challenge of our time”. Though he may have diagnosed the disease, did he prescribe an effective cure?

December 5, 2013 - The New York Times

13 Ways to Kill Your Community

Scott Doyon reviews the book "13 Ways to Kill Your Community", by Alberta Legislative Assembly member Doug Griffiths and journalist Kelly Clemmer. In it, the authors reveal some of the "curiously recurring behaviors" that harm cities of all sizes.

December 4, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Tale of Two Californias Misses the Bigger Story of Inequality

California's inequality is usually described in geographic terms that distinguishes between the state's affluent coastal areas and impoverished inland areas. When considering the cost of living, a statewide poverty crisis comes into focus.

December 3, 2013 - The Economist

Correlating Driving Misbehavior with Crime

Is there a correlation between running red lights and more violent crime like robberies and homicide? Gabe Klein, Chicago's distinguished outgoing transportation commissioner, thinks so. It's been dubbed "the broken windows effect."

December 3, 2013 - Streetsblog

"Distress 'Burbs" are the Hot Political Battlegrounds of Today

Forget swing states, Richard Florida says, suburbs are today’s political battlegrounds.

December 2, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

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

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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.