Social / Demographics

Many planners these days are promoting higher densities, especially in urban cores. Urban scholar Joel Kotkin inexplicably takes this trend to mean that a "cult" of planners favors bone-crushing crowds that would turn US cities into slums.

May 6, 2013 - California Planning & Development Report

As they move into positions of leadership in their communities and in the public sector, a generation once labelled as "slackers" is helping to change the relationship between governments and their citizens, reports Rob Gurwitt.

May 5, 2013 - Governing

Emily Badger looks at recent research that shows that racial and economic segregation harms not only minority and low-income families, but also those that've fled to affluent areas.

May 3, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

California's population grew by nearly 1 percent last year, driven by growth in the Bay Area and the state's other urban areas. In a significant milestone, the state built more multifamily dwellings than single-family homes for the first time.

May 2, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

The elimination of extreme poverty - daily income below $1.25 - has long been a goal of the U.N., the World Bank, and development experts. The world's mass urbanization is a leading reason that quixotic goal may actually be achievable by 2030.

May 2, 2013 - The New York Times

Expanding car and bike share services beyond America's big cities and affluent demographics requires adaptability and old economy technologies. Buffalo CarShare is providing a model for success that even the big boys could learn from.

April 30, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Jerry Adler examines the emerging field of “quantitative urbanism,” which aims to use mathematical formulas to unveil and explain the universal properties shared by cities.

April 30, 2013 - Smithsonian

In Washington D.C., double the amount of residents in affluent areas live among plentiful green spaces. Lessening the disparity will require the cooperation of private property owners, not all of whom see more trees as a good thing.

April 29, 2013 - The Washington Post

Ever since the divisive, internecine battles almost a decade ago, Sierra Club has steered clear of taking decisive postions on immigration - until April 24 when their board unanimously endorsed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

April 28, 2013 - Daily Grist

Amazon.com has compiled its third annual list of the 20 'most well-read' cities in America. The results may surprise you.

April 27, 2013 - Time

According to Mark Funkhouser, former mayor of Kansas City, there may be no better measure of a city's livability than whether parents want to raise children there. He explains why everyone benefits when sidewalks are filled with baby strollers.

April 26, 2013 - Governing

As Congress debates immigration reform, Richard Florida explains why more liberal policies could be a boon for America's cities by examining the connection between foreign-born populations and economic outcomes.

April 25, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

According to a new study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, historical biases lead to minority homebuyers paying an average of 3.5 percent more for their homes than whites, reports Matt Bevilacqua.

April 25, 2013 - Next City

For professional-class workers with annual household incomes in the top income quintile, New York is a comparatively affordable place. A recent study attributes lower costs to competition between businesses that cater to upper-income people.

April 24, 2013 - The New York Times

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim explains why climate change is a poverty issue - and why we must tackle it today to ensure that carbon emissions do not continue rising after 2016. Establishing a world price on carbon will be difficult to achieve.

April 23, 2013 - PBS NewsHour - The Rundown

Brad Plumer looks at the latest data on Americans' driving habits, which shows that vehicle miles driven have fallen an astonishing 8.75 percent since June 2005. Despite the end of the recession, driving rates continue their downward trend. But why?

April 22, 2013 - The Washington Post

Despite the end of the recession, the number of New Yorkers in, or near, poverty continues to creep up, with 46 percent of the city's residents making less than 150 percent of the poverty threshold, reports Sam Roberts.

April 22, 2013 - The New York Times

A group of America's leading corporations, health care providers, and government officials are preparing to launch a national walking movement this fall. "If walking was a pill or surgical procedure, it would be on 60 Minutes,” says Dr. Bob Sallis.

April 22, 2013 - Citiwire.net

Every year we analyze all of the tweets from the APA Conference and tell you about the trends in planning. With more than 1,000 people tweeting from the APA Conference, there is a lot of great ideas, links, and blogs that we can all learn from.

April 21, 2013 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

A new report from the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program shows that areas located 10-35 miles from America's central cities sustained far higher job losses during the recession, staunching the sprawl of people and employment.

April 19, 2013 - Next City