Social / Demographics
New Study Raises Questions About Relevance of Food Deserts
The role of access to fresh food in contributing to people's eating habits has been at the heart of efforts to identify and eliminate 'food deserts.' However, a new study questions the connection between obesity and the food environment.
Why Americans Are Moving from Blue to Red States
In this op-ed, Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore analyze the recent Census findings showing renewed migration from the Northeast and Midwest to the South and Southwest. They note the movement is clearly from blue states to red, and explain why.
Supposed Safe Havens Pose Danger to Pedestrians in NYC
A new study conducted by NYU's Langone Medical Center reveals that pedestrians are most often struck by cars in New York's supposed safe havens: in a crosswalk with the signal on their side. Findings related to bicycle safety were also revealed.
New Study Details the Deadly Effects of China's Air Pollution Problem
New details from a landmark study on the leading causes of death worldwide presents a gloomy picture of the effect of air pollution on the health of China's residents. The toll is 25 million healthy years of life snatched from the population.
ASLA Launches National Landscape Architecture Month
The American Society of Landscape Architects and its local chapters are organizing a series of events during April to celebrate National Landscape Architecture Month. The theme of this year's events is "Healthy Living Through Design."
Trend Towards Engagement Transforms America's Public Housing
Public housing models in the U.S. are becoming more community-oriented and taking varying demographics into account during the design process. Engagement with the street, the neighborhood, and social services are creating new design typologies.
Parks: An Antidote to 'Brain Fatigue'
Scientists have long theorized that natural settings can help us manage the stress induced by urban living. New research made possible by advances in EEG technology has confirmed the restorative effects of parks.
Serendipitous Interactions: Good for Cities, Good for Companies
A rambling walk through New York City, with no destination in mind, reveals to FT columnist John Kay the value of unplanned social interactions - a value that's behind Yahoo’s recent policy limiting telecommuting.
The Power of Place: On Democracy and Public Participation in Planning
More thoughts on how public participation in the placemaking process can create better places and better functioning democracies.
New Study is First to Show that Traffic Pollution Causes Childhood Asthma
While pollution from vehicle exhausts has been known for some time to exacerbate the symptoms of asthma, a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal establishes for the first time the direct causal link between the two.
Departure of USDA's No. 2 Official Deals Blow to Sustainable Agriculture
In an essay for Grist, Tom Laskawy laments the departure of deputy secretary Kathleen Merrigan, the Obama administration's "most powerful supporter of local and organic foods," from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Prevalence of Play Deserts
A new study analyzing the amenities in 165 parks in the four-county Kansas City metro region found that low-income neighborhoods suffer from a lack of play spaces, despite having more parks per capita, reports Emily Badger.
Can Cities Help Solve Global Food Challenges?
With growing populations demanding more food and growing borders requiring more land, cities are one of the primary challenges to feeding the world's hunger problem. Can they also be the solution?
How Well Has L.A. Lived up to 25-Year-Old Predictions?
How well could today's futurists predict how everyday life will change by 2038? This was the task that the Los Angeles Times Magazine embarked on in 1988. A class of graduate students at USC has been looking into which predictions came true.
America's New Geography of Poverty
NBC News looks at the plight of the Simons family in West Hartford, Connecticut, to examine the growth of suburban poverty in the United States.
What Are America's Healthiest Counties?
A new study from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks America's healthiest counties. Environment, rather than access to care, is seen as the key element in determining health outcomes.
Is the UK Ignoring Its Growing Public Health Crisis?
Air pollution is second only to smoking as a cause of premature death in Britain. So why haven't the country's leaders taken action to address the problem?
Build a Better Democracy Through Public Participation
In the first entry in a series exploring the connection between the processes and products of Placemaking and city governance, PPS explores how "Place Governance" can increase leadership, equity, and cohesion among citizens.
Mapping March Madness Fandom
On the eve of round 2 (the real start) of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Facebook has analyzed the more than 1 million "likes" entered for each of the 68 teams in the tournament to create a comprehensive geography of March Madness.
Study Shows that Electricity Consumption Differs by Political Party
Here's a news item that's sure to make for interesting conversation at your next dinner party. A new study has found that liberal homeowners tend to use at least five percent less electricity than conservatives.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
