Social / Demographics
<p>An analysis of Census figures shows that the number of long-distance commuters -- those who spend more than 90 minutes on their average commute -- has increased.</p>
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
<p>The rise in childhood obesity and diabetes has been linked to declining numbers of children who walk or bike to school. In addition, new traffic accident data shows that being driven to school is also a serious health threat.</p>
The New York Times
<p>The Los Angeles City Council will consider a moratorium on fast-food restaurants in South L.A., a part of the city with high rates of obesity and below-average access to grocery stores.</p>
The Los Angeles Times
<p>More and more people are ranking New York and London at the top of the list of cool cities. But will London move ahead of front-runner New York to become the coolest city of the 21st Century?</p>
The Guardian
<p>Officials in Russia are hoping to help kick-start a population boom in the rapidly depopulating country by declaring September 12 the "Day of Conception" and awarding prizes to those who give birth exactly nine months later.</p>
Associated Press via Contra Costa Times
<p>The rapid rural-to-urban population shift is felt heavily in many African cities, but especially so in the continent's smaller cities, such as the Botswanan capitol of Gaborone.</p>
The Christian Science Monitor
<p>The growth of Vancouver has far surpassed what planners projected half a century ago. And though some problems have followed, the region's growth hasn't wrought the city's downfall, as many expected.</p>
The Vancouver Sun
Feature
One citizen planner's journey across the United States provides a glimpse at how stronger connections between people and places can create better communities.
Blog post
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle. ~Ernest Hemingway
<p>A new study of Census data shows that people are willing to pay more to live near other people with similar characteristics, such as education level and race.</p>
Terra Daily
<p>Columnist William Blackburn laments school trailers and their effect on the psyche of America's youth.</p>
The Charlotte Observer
<p>Water agency officials in Florida are considering a plan to pump 262 million gallons of water per day from local rivers to satisfy a high population growth rate. But many are calling the plan short-sighted and a futile attempt to control nature.</p>
The Florida Times-Union
<p>Despite estimates that the state of California's population will grow to 60 million by 2050, Wendell Cox argues that growth in the state is slowing.</p>
Orange County Register
<p>By increasing the amount of migrant work permits and political rights, Ireland has beckoned immigrants from all over the world, becoming one of Europe's immigration leaders.</p>
The Christian Science Monitor
<p>More and more young people are leaving Eastern Europe, leaving behind a large population of aging people. Many are predicting tough economic times as fewer workers will make it harder for governments to provide for their aging populations.</p>
International Herald Tribune
<p>The quality of the world's soil is rapidly diminishing and many scientists are concerned that by 2050 there will not be enough arable land to grow the food to feed the steadily growing population.</p>
The Guardian
<p>With developers readying to move in on the centrally-located Mumbai slum of Dharavi, residents are organizing protests to try to ensure that displaced residents are adequately compensated.</p>
BBC
<p><em>Der Spiegel</em> interviews urban researcher Charles Landry about how cities can harness their creative classes and stay competitive in the global market.</p>
Der Spiegel
<p>When it comes to reducing carbon footprints and living sustainably, urban residents perform the best.</p>
MSN
<p>With large investments made in refurbishing and emphasizing its waterfront in recent years, Barcelona has set off on a path towards rejuvenation -- bringing in many foreigners and a surge of young, creative professionals.</p>
Der Spiegel
