Social / Demographics

Red antique stoplight in the middle of wide intersection flanked by brick buildings in downtown rural Toledo, Iowa

Iowa Towns Embrace a ‘Shrink Smart’ Approach

Population loss doesn’t have to be a harbinger of doom. Some rural communities are taking small but impactful steps to improve quality of life for their remaining residents.

August 23, 2023 - The Gazette

A pregnant woman holds hand with a man in an urban setting.

Walkable Neighborhoods Connected to Healthier Pregnancies, Births

More evidence of the public health benefits of walkable neighborhoods.

August 22, 2023 - University of New Hampshire

View of park playground with palm trees in background

Protecting Kids from Climate Change by Greening Schools

Los Angeles Unified School District is in the process of implementing a plan to ensure that at least 30 percent of all campuses include green spaces by 2035.

August 21, 2023 - The 19th

A tent covered in blue and black tarps sits on a downtown Los Angeles sidewalk with the white ziggurat-topped L.A. City Hall looming in the background

Los Angeles Wants to Transfer Public Land to Marginalized Groups

A systematic reparations plan has begun in the city of Los Angeles, though it’s still too early to tell about the scale and impact of the plan.

August 15, 2023 - City News Service via the Eastsider

View from back of mother and hcild holding hands and walking down asphalt walkway painted with game grid.

Do Americans Really Prefer Sprawl?

Not if they live in a large metro area.

August 14, 2023 - Michael Lewyn

Cincinnati and Covington

A Roundtable Discussion on the Future of Cities

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been shortage of opinions on the coming evolution of cities. It’s time to check in with the debate.

August 10, 2023 - Vox

Sprawl

Colorado Erases Local Growth Limits

Colorado legislators passed a law earlier this year that preempts local limits on the number of building permits issued every year.

August 8, 2023 - The Denver Post

View of downtown Seattle across a body of water with colorful houses in the foreground

Report Links Zoning and Land Use to Structural Racism

The historically comprehensive study outlines the policies that have shaped homeownership, generational wealth, and economic development in the Puget Sound region.

August 4, 2023 - The Urbanist

Sprawl

Majority of Americans Prefer Larger Homes and Longer Trips, Survey Says

The percentages have fluctuated on either side of the pandemic, but most Americans prefer to live in communities with larger houses, located farther away from schools, stores, and restaurants, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey.

August 3, 2023 - Pew Research Center

South Beach Open Streets

Miami Loses Population for the First Time Since 1970

Already one of the nation’s hottest real estate markets before the Covid-19 pandemic, the region became unaffordable for many middle-income households in the last few years.

August 2, 2023 - The Wall Street Journal

Police

When Traffic Enforcement Makes Roads More Dangerous

A new book makes the case that revenue-oriented traffic policing has far-reaching negative impacts and often fails to improve traffic safety.

August 1, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up of person holding up phone and looking at their smart watch displaying fitness data

Using Cellphone and Fitness App Data for Park Planning

Data from smartphone apps and fitness trackers are helping planners to better understand park usage patterns and plan for new and improved parks.

July 31, 2023 - Planning Magazine

Man painting "HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT" mural in black paint on bright yellow fence

California Ballot Measures Would Aid the Mentally Ill and Drug-Addicted Homeless

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed in March a two-part ballot initiative to tackle homelessness, focusing on mental illness and substance abuse, which would provide 10,000 beds in new, voluntary treatment facilities—but one funding source is controversial.

July 31, 2023 - CALmatters

Group of children running toward the camera on a green lawn

Community-Based Organizations Advancing Park Equity

July is Parks and Recreation Month and CBOs should be recognized for the important role they play in supporting parks and recreation in communities across the U.S.

July 31, 2023 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Google Street view of small one-story wooden house in Sandridge, South Carolina

New Highways Are Still Tearing Communities Apart

Residents of a historic Black South Carolina town are being displaced by a road widening project.

July 28, 2023 - The Guardian

Google street view of single-story storefronts in Los Angeles

Another L.A. Gentrification Story

New art galleries are moving into a neighborhood recently dubbed ‘Melrose Hill,’ prompting both derision and concern on the part of local residents.

July 27, 2023 - Hyperallergic

A crowded sunny day at Santa Monica beach

California Decline: Population Likely Peaked Three Years Ago

A July projection from the state's Demographic Research Unit indicates that the population in 2060 may be about what it is today.

July 27, 2023 - Bloomberg News

Vacant run-down houses in Gary, Indiana

Commentary: Place-Based Policy Must Target Chronically Poor Areas

As more evidence shows that neighborhood-level factors heavily impact future outcomes, place-based policies should use more accurate measurements to ensure persistently poor places don’t fall through the cracks.

July 18, 2023 - Route Fifty

The historic San Diego City and County Administration Building in Southern California.

San Diego Camping Ban Set to Take Effect, but Details Remain Murky

The city plans to crack down on unhoused people camping on city property, but has yet to identify parks and school zones targeted for enforcement under the new ordinance.

July 17, 2023 - Voice of San Diego

Encampment set up by unhoused residents in Portland, Oregon

Tent Encampments: Will the Legal Restraint be Lifted?

A controversial U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2018 that has hindered the ability of western cities to clear tent encampments on public spaces will likely be revisited and overturned by the Supreme Court, predicts a popular CNN host.

July 17, 2023 - OPB

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

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.