Social / Demographics

Brownfield Revitalization, or Gentrification?

Residents of the Bayview neighborhood of San Francisco fear that redevelopment threatens to gentrify the area in a way that pushes out low- and middle-income black residents.

August 28, 2011 - High Country News

NYC's Answer to Silicon Valley

Joining Yelp, Net-A-Porter, and Apple, tech companies find a new hub in Union Square (aka "Silicon Square").

August 27, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Squatting on the Rise in Detroit

With more than 100,000 empty homes within the city of Detroit, squatters are increasingly moving in.

August 25, 2011 - The Detroit News

Is There a Capital of the World?

Intelligent Life magazine asks what city would be the capital of the world.

August 25, 2011 - Intelligent Life

Drugs and Economic Success in El Paso

El Paso is seen as one of the more successful mid-sized cities in the U.S. But as this op-ed from Domus explores, the fuel behind that success is the drug trafficking that has plagued Mexico and its border with the U.S.

August 25, 2011 - domus

The Boon in British Cycling

A new report from the London School of Economics looks at the “cycling economy” that is taking the United Kingdom by storm and the economic benefits generated by individual cyclists.

August 25, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Struggles and Success in Two Neighboring Stadium Towns

Two neighboring towns -- one with a bustling soccer stadium and the other with a struggling minor league baseball stadium -- offer a story of changing times in the U.S.

August 23, 2011 - The New York Times

My Future City is Houston?

The BMW Guggenheim Lab has released an online urban planning game called "Urbanology," which asks a serious of questions to determine the type of city you think is the future.

August 22, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Brookings Compares 'Zero-Vehicle Households' To Those With Vehicles

Not to be confused with zero-emission-vehicles, the Brookings Institution looks primarily at the demographics and access to jobs of what they define as zero-vehicle households. Access to vehicles reveals equity (income) and urban vs. suburban issues.

August 21, 2011 - The Brookings Institution

Richard Florida Picks Hot Urban Neighborhoods

In USA Today, Florida picks 10 neighborhoods that give a "slice of local urban life," ranging from Miami's Wynwood and Design District to Fort Worth, Texas' West 7th community.

August 20, 2011 - USA Today

Light and the City

A new film explores the impact of urban light pollution on humans and the natural environment, and calls on designers and planners to revise the way our cities are lit.

August 19, 2011 - The City Dark

Burning Man Does Good At Home

Burning Man -- the annual arts festival and self-reliance experiment -- is more than a party in the desert. Its organizers are starting a new effort to revitalize the neighborhood around their San Francisco office.

August 19, 2011 - Fast Company

Density is in our Blood

Scientific American presents evidence that "high density living" is hardwired in humankind, and as populations grow, density increases.

August 18, 2011 - Scientific American

Behind the Decline in Driving

Driving is down in the U.S. and countries all over the world, according to a variety of studies. This piece from New Scientist looks into why the road is less traveled.

August 18, 2011 - New Scientist

Condemnation and Cohesion in the Slums of Manila

The slums are either a socially cohesive neighborhoods or a major problem -- depending on who you are. This exploration into the slums of Manila show the disconnect between the people and the government about the slums and their future.

August 18, 2011 - New Statesman

A Dirty Reputation in 'Filthadelphia'

Philadelphia has long been derided for its dirty and filthy streets. This reputation has turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

August 18, 2011 - The Philadelphia Daily News

Tenderloin National Forest

An unconventional outdoor spaces has helped transform a small part of a problem-riddled San Francisco neighborhood.

August 18, 2011 - Next American City

Wealth Concentrates in Neighborhood Full of Government Contractors

Government contracts are filling the pockets of contractors in the Washington D.C. area and helping to create some of the nation's wealthiest neighborhoods.

August 17, 2011 - The Washington Post

Crime Dropping in Urban Areas

Crime in urban areas is on the decline. Some attribute the drop to increases in the amount of people returning to city centers.

August 17, 2011 - Governing

Rahul Mehrotra Talks Indian Urban Planning

Rahul Mehrotra talks to The Hindu about sustainable cities, community participation, and infrastructure. The article also has a review of his most recent book "Architecture in India Since 1990."

August 16, 2011 - The Hindu

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.