Social / Demographics

On the Public Health Risks of Urbanization

Eric Jaffe looks at the findings of a recent article in the medical journal The Lancet, which predicts massive public health challenges in China resulting from the country's urban influx of migrant workers.

March 16, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

New Study Ranks Most Optimistic Cities

Today, Gallup Wellbeing has released new findings on community satisfaction and optimism, evaluating 190 U.S. metro areas based on how residents feel about where they live and where their community is headed.

March 13, 2012 - Gallup Wellbeing

World Poverty Declines Despite Recession

Defying logic, as the world entered recession its poorest made inroads out of "extreme poverty" according to a new World Bank report. In 2009 a similar report predicted just the opposite would happen due to recession. Why the improvement?

March 13, 2012 - The New York Times - World

In Battle Between Oldtimers and Newcomers, Which Side Are You On?

Richey Piiparinen examines the two, often antagonistic, worlds that he straddles as a mid-30′s native Rust Belt romantic, and finds fellowship with those in other legacy cities.

March 12, 2012 - Rust Wire

San Francisco Grows Less Diverse

Heather Knight reports on a trend concerning officials and family advocates throughout San Francico, the exodus of families with children who can no longer afford housing in a city that is becoming older, whiter and richer.

March 11, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Do You Know How Big Your City Is?

Samuel Arbesman pens a fascinating piece in The Atlantic Cities analyzing our subjective concepts of scale and context in relation to our ideas about the importance and size of cities.

March 10, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Tools For Measuring Health Impacts Being Prescribed More Often

Eric Jaffe reports on the growing use of "health impact assessments" (HIA), which are used in a similar fashion to environmental reviews, to determine the public health side effects of major projects.

March 9, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

What Lies Behind America's Rising Inequality

Wage inequality does not tell the whole picture of the growing income inequality in the United States, writes Richard Florida, who examines the myriad other factors that may be driving this trend.

March 8, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Gallup Ranks Most Obese Metro Areas

Here is a list you presumably do not want to find your city on: the most obese metro areas in the country. Dan Witters breaks down the results that Gallup has recently released as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

March 8, 2012 - Gallup Wellbeing

The Doctor Is In: How Medicalization Effects Contemporary Planning and Architecture

Giovanna Borasi & Mirko Zardini examine the state of pervasive anxiety afflicting the urban populations of the West and how "medicalization" and an ambition for total well-being are effecting architecture and urban planning.

March 7, 2012 - Places

From Landscape to Soundscape in Urban Placemaking

Chuck Wolfe outlines the importance of soundscapes to cities past, present and future, and describes efforts to both document urban sounds and use sound as a planning tool.

March 7, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Which Cities Have the Brightest Futures?

Zipcar has released the results of their first Future Metropolis Index, which the company commissioned to recognize cities that demonstrate smart urban planning and policymaking, reports Ariel Schwartz.

March 6, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Suburbless in Seattle

Mark Hinshaw calls an end to the use of the term "suburb" to describe the communities ringing Seattle, and the inferior connotations attached to it. It's a term that he thinks has outlived its usefulness.

March 6, 2012 - Crosscut

Where It Pays To Be A Woman

To mark the upcoming anniversary of International Women's Day, Sarah Morrison investigates the best and worst places around the world to be a woman.

March 5, 2012 - The Independent

What is Manhattan's Carrying Capacity?

NYT reporter Amy O'Leary observes Manhattan's ubiquitous construction while suffering through overcrowded sidewalks, stores, and subway trains, and wonders just how many more people the crowded borough can absorb.

March 5, 2012 - The New York Times - Real Estate

Where Are Baby Boomers Going to Spend Their Golden Years?

John K. McIlwain breaks down the recent explosion in the "65-or-better" population – and what it means for urban regions.

March 2, 2012 - Urban Land

Where Is China's Middle Class?

According to Nate Berg, they're not to be found in the country's new megacities. In an article for The Atlantic Cities, Berg discusses a recent paper analyzing the outdated law preventing China's growth and prosperity from trickling down.

March 1, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Housing: Fundamentals, Imbalance, and Solutions

Is the dream home for the New Era compact, connected and mortgage free?

February 29, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Mapping the Happiest States

Richard Florida reports on a new map showing the results of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which analyzes a number of "happiness" factors on a statewide level.

February 28, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Using Public Art to Highlight Government Misdeeds

John Metcalfe profiles the work of Spanish art collective luzinterruptus, who have used public art pieces to highlight the failings of Spanish authorities, such as Madrid's dysfunctional drinking fountains.

February 28, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

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.