Social / Demographics

Communities in the slums of India are well known for "making do". A new exhibit looks at how that spirit of innovation and adaptation plays out in these cities and how other cities can learn from them.

February 14, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Mega-cities of 10 million people or more are getting a lot of attention these days. But smaller big cities are really where interesting and potentially hazardous growth patterns are occurring, according to this piece.

February 14, 2011 - Citiwire

Struggling cities in the Rust Belt are actually luring a new surge of younger populations, according to this piece from Governing.

February 12, 2011 - Governing

Grist's Sarah Goodyear takes a look at a Superbowl TV commercial's focus on Detroit, and how selling a city can either work or fail.

February 12, 2011 - Grist

Leonardo DiCaprio accompanied architect Lawrence Scarpa to report on the project and to discuss the rationale behind this type of low-income housing development.

February 11, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Imbalances between the amount of cars being added to the roadways in China's cities and the amount of roads for them to drive on is brewing a major traffic problem.

February 11, 2011 - Miller-McCune

Per Square Mile recount the history of Cahokia, a Mississipian settlement that was the biggest city in America from about 1250 to 1800.

February 11, 2011 - Per Square Mile

Between 2,000 and 3,000 people have taken over the Grande Hotel in Beira, Mozambique, and turned it into a small community of squatters.

February 11, 2011 - CNN

With millions of people, Los Angeles -- like many big cities -- can be a rude place. And though it makes sense that the city can be impolite, it doesn't have to be, argues Amy Alkon in this op-ed.

February 11, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

A study conducted in Illinois has found no correlation between rates of obesity to suburban sprawl, as was previously believed.

February 10, 2011 - US News

As demographics shift and housing preferences of younger buyers lean away from single-family housing, much of the single-family-home-zoned areas in Charlotte will need to be rethought, according to this editorial.

February 10, 2011 - The Charlotte Observer

A transit program in California is intended to be a lifeline for the homeless population, allowing for easier access to medical services and employment opportunities.

February 8, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Interested communities are invited to apply until February 23, 2011. The purpose of the program is to help interested communities adopt sustainable planning methods.

February 8, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

"Open Buildings" App lets you discover the built environment with the touch of a screen.

February 8, 2011 - thisbigcity.net

The City Council of Temecula, CA decided that a proposed mosque met all zoning requirements and voted to approve its construction, despite opposition that supporters claim was fueled by religious reasons and not concerns over traffic and parking.

February 8, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Neither technology nor infrastructure shows any limit for how big or how fast cities can grow and more megacities are on the horizon, according to this piece from Richard Dobbs and Jaana Remes.

February 6, 2011 - What Matters

The Vauban District in southern Germany is a small community built around a green transportation scheme, but it has become much more: a model of cooperative decision-making, sustainability and eco-planning.

February 5, 2011 - The Cereplast Blog

Over the past ten years, the city of New Orleans has lost nearly a third of its population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

February 4, 2011 - USA Today

Beneath Paris is an underground network of tunnels and quarries, long closed to the public. National Geographic takes a tour of this forbidden part of the city, where urban explorers keep tradition alive.

February 3, 2011 - National Geographic

While some cities have focused planning efforts on making their public spaces more accessible for the elderly, some argue that the age group they should be focusing on is kids.

February 2, 2011 - Good