Social / Demographics

20 Years Onward, How Have the Riots Changed LA?

In April 1992, L.A. erupted in a torrent of burning, looting, and rioting following the acquittal of three police officers charged in the beating of Rodney King. Josh Sides looks at how the city responded to those events and how it's changed since.

April 22, 2012 - Places

In Which Cities are People Eating the Healthiest?

Ariel Schwartz identifies where people have the best and worst eating habits based on self-supplied data gathered by a food-picture-taking and healthiness-rating application.

April 20, 2012 - Fast Coexist

Refuting the Recent Food Access and Obesity Findings

Allison Karpyn, Ph.D., director of research and evaluation for the Food Trust, shares her doubts about the overall implications of recent studies questioning the concept of Food Deserts and their connection to obesity.

April 20, 2012 - Next American City

Ranking America's Hipster Havens

Katrina Brown Hunt ranks America's top ten cities for hipsters with the help of Travel + Leisure readers, who voted in the magazine's annual America’s Favorite Cities survey.

April 19, 2012 - Yahoo! Travel

Studies Shoot Down Concept of Food Deserts and Their Link to Obesity

Gina Kolata reports on the findings of two new studies that question the very concept of food deserts in poor neighborhoods, and the connection between fresh food access and obesity.

April 18, 2012 - The New York Times

The Stark Differences Between the Two Californias

Many think the two geographic divisions in CA are north and south, but this article uses economic data to show that the real division is between coastal and inland. These differences transcend economics and are revealed in public policies as well.

April 18, 2012 - The New York Times - U.S.

Facing Crises in Urban Life, Nigeria Keeps On Growing

Unlike Asia and South America, sub-Saharan Africa did not see birthrates fall in the second half of the 20th century. As a result, urban life in Nigeria heralds the challenges facing an increasingly populous planet, Elisabeth Rosenthal reports.

April 18, 2012 - The New York Times

How U.S. Cities Drive the Global Economy

Brad Plumer discusses the findings of a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute that delves into the impact that U.S. cities have on the national and global economy, and assesses the reasons for their influence.

April 18, 2012 - The Washington Post

Is Walking a Liberal Value?

Will Oremus investigates an occurrence he noticed recently in Tom Vanderbilt's series on walking – that the cities with the highest "walk scores" were all liberal – and asks why conservative cities don't walk.

April 18, 2012 - Slate

For Affordable Housing in NYC, a Bountiful Harvest

Alison Gregor highlights efforts by affordable housing developers to implement edible community gardens, bringing fresh food and neighborhood ties to inner-city tenants.

April 16, 2012 - The New York Times

LAPD Moves to Curb "Lawlessness" on Venice Beach

A rising tide of hostility along Venice's famous boardwalk has prompted residents to call on the LAPD for help, Martha Groves reports.

April 16, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Examining the Impact of the Changing Role of Women on the Built Environment

In this essay, Luis Rodriguez traces the demographic and socio-economic trends that reflect the changing role of women in society, and their impact on the way communities are planned and designed.

April 16, 2012 - Fused Grid

Studying the Surprising Correlation Between Big-Box Stores and Hate Groups

Emily Badger reports on an intriguing new study that shows big-box stores may be even more closely correlated with the presence of hate groups than many of the factors that have long been used to explain them.

April 14, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Study Links Childhood Obesity to Walkability and Access to Healthy Food

A new study conducted by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute looks at how zip code is as important as genetic code in determining childhood obesity.

April 13, 2012 - Seattle Children's Hospital

Pedestrianology 101: The Science of Walking in Social Spaces

In the second part of a four part series on America's pedestrian problem, Tom Vanderbilt evaluates the surprisingly formalized field of pedestrian behavior research, from navigating crowded sidewalks to tripping at the bottom of the stairs.

April 13, 2012 - Slate

Where to Find the Global 1%

Richard Florida explores the rankings of the top global cities for the ultra-rich, as detailed in the 2012 Wealth Report released by real estate firm Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank.

April 12, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

NYT Editorial Welcomes The End Of Sprawl

The NYT editorializes on the just-released April 2010-July 2011 census data that shows a notable slow-down in exurban growth as urban growth increased. Pointing to the problems that accompanied America's embrace of sprawl, they welcome the change.

April 11, 2012 - The New York Times - Editorial

A Closer Look At Growth Data Showing An Urban Revival

On April 5, the U.S. Census Bureau released growth data from April 2010 to July 2011 showing that for the first time in 20 years, urban growth surpassed exurban growth. Yonah Freemark takes a closer look at the data for 21 metropolitan areas.

April 10, 2012 - theTransportPolitic

Probing the False Sense of Security in Gated Communities

Edward Blakely, co-author of “Fortress America: Gated Communities in the United States,” pens an opinion piece for The Washington Post looking at the detrimental psychology that exists in gated communities such as where Trayvon Martin died.

April 9, 2012 - The Washington Post

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.