Social / Demographics

Economists see America's recovering housing market as a positive indication of the country's economic health. But according to a new study, rising home prices "decrease income mobility and ultimately hurt the U.S. economy," reports Nicole Goodkind.

October 27, 2012 - CNBC

New census data reveals that at the same time Washington D.C. drew a record number of young adults, those over 55 left the city in large numbers. As a result, over the past three years, the city's median age has fallen by a full six months.

October 26, 2012 - The Washington Post

Richard Florida speaks with sociologist Zachary Neal, author of The Connected City, a new book that examines the essential role that social networks play in defining community.

October 25, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

"Since the beginning of 2011, 180 bills restricting voting and voter registration have been introduced in 41 states. Over 70% of the electoral votes needed to win the 2012 Presidential election will come from states with new restrictive voting laws."

October 25, 2012 - Shelterforce Magazine

In the first of a new series of articles tackling urban livelihoods, Caroline Skinner explains why the informal workforce matters, and offers six strategies for developing more inclusive urban planning processes.

October 24, 2012 - The Global Urbanist

With the portion of American's living in cities set to rise to 90 percent by 2050, a new set of accessibility issues will confront the nation's disabled and aging. Metropolis invited 7 teams of designers to develop solutions to meet this challenge.

October 24, 2012 - Metropolis

The role of the physical environment in promoting healthy living was the focus of a gathering last week in the Peel Region, which encompasses three of Toronto's western suburbs. Participants discussed the challenges of adapting suburban environs.

October 24, 2012 - Toronto Star

Since the September 11 attacks, the areas in and surrounding Lower Manhattan have experienced an increase in the population of young, educated workers, reports Sam Roberts. Farther-off suburbs are seeing their share of such high-value workers shrink.

October 23, 2012 - The New York Times

A new initiative launched by Mayor Bloomberg to tackle New York City's need for affordable housing through the construction of microunits is attracting hostility from advocates and local leaders for neglecting the needs of large, poor families.

October 22, 2012 - The New York Times

Business Insider has compiled a list of the "31 fastest growing cities on the planet." Cities in China and Africa we're well represented, with only two cities outside of those areas cracking the list.

October 22, 2012 - Business Insider

To address the growing linguistic diversity in urban areas, the fall issue of the journal Current Issues in Language Planning is devoted to exploring social equity in "urban multilingual ecosystems." [Login required]

October 21, 2012 - Current Issues in Language Planning

The Economist examines how London's inner city neighborhoods are well past an inflection point in crime rates. In many cases inner city neighborhoods are now safer than suburban neighborhoods and the trend is set to continue.

October 20, 2012 - The Economist

A recent Pew survey of Chinese residents points to increasing anxiety among participants with the country’s problems. Despite continued economic growth, at an average of 9% per year over the past four years, the Chinese are growing dissatisfied.

October 19, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Kelly Morphy provides tips and strategies on improving civic engagement - the key to healthy communities and desired outcomes.

October 18, 2012 - Better Cities & Towns

A lawsuit filed this week against Morgan Stanley claims that the predatory lending practices that grew the housing bubble violated federal civil rights laws, an ironic echo of a time when housing policies prevented blacks from obtaining mortgages.

October 18, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Rachel James speaks with historian Jennifer Gray about the impact that Disney's "particular brand of nostalgic, comforting architecture and urbanism" has had on the way people experience the city and professionals plan for it.

October 17, 2012 - SmartPlanet

A joint project by technology company Esri and the city of San Francisco shows the promising confluence of open data and innovative visualization techniques.

October 16, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Richard Florida discusses why "quality of place", rather than job opportunity, is the determining factor in where creative-minded people choose to live.

October 16, 2012 - Urban Land Magazine

If you were confused by recent census data that named four California metros, including Delano (pop 53,819), as the most dense in America, a new report that looks at "population-weighted density" may deliver more satisfying results.

October 15, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

In this month's edition of its Planning Advisory Service (PAS) spotlight, the APA looks at the ways in which different communities are addressing homelessness in their comprehensive plans, and through other types of documents.

October 15, 2012 - APA