Social / Demographics

Amid talk of downsizing and abandonment, a new surge of young investors has been moving into Detroit and revitalizing its economy.

January 11, 2011 - The Detroit Free Press

Just as failing industries marked the decline of the Midwest after WWII (hence the name 'Rust Belt'), the new declining cities will be denoted by their percentage of foreclosures, found particularly in California, the Southwest, and Florida.

January 10, 2011 - International Business Times

Mayors of some of the biggest cities in the U.S. talk about what makes a city smart, and how cities can become smarter.

January 9, 2011 - Time

Anthony Flint offers this list of the top ten reasons to be nice to pedestrians in 2011.

January 8, 2011 - The Boston Globe

This video from the BBC takes a tour of a new winter festival in China in which a city of sculptures has been created out of ice.

January 6, 2011 - BBC

The U.S. Census Bureau has released a new set of formulae that dramatically change the way poverty is determined in the U.S., leaving behind the one-size-fits-all approach in use since the 1960s.

January 6, 2011 - The Washington Post

A new video features urban explorer Steve Duncan as he adventures in the abandoned subway tunnels beneath New York City.

January 6, 2011 - Wired

Prevailing wisdom is that transit mode and frequency of service is dependent on residential density, which leaves low density, outer suburbs in a lurch, instilling an auto-dependent lifestyle. Not so, says Australian researcher and author Paul Mees.

January 5, 2011 - The Age: Victoria

Sarah Goodyear at Grist gives seven ideas for New Year's resolutions you might consider for improving your community, including planting something, going for a walk, and getting to know your neighbors.

January 4, 2011 - Grist

National Geographic tackles the controversial issue of population growth, and the sustainability of a growing population. Should we worry about maxing out the planet? Not necessarily, according to Nat. Geo.

January 3, 2011 - National Geographic

When CA High Speed Rail Authority officials chose the initial Central Valley, 65-mile stretch to begin construction (extended to 123 miles thanks to OH and WI), they were not expecting to encounter the opposition they've seen elsewhere - wrong!

January 3, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

Alex Marshall muses on a new T.V. show set in Portland and how distinctiveness is so important to a city's success.

January 1, 2011 - Citiwire.net

Recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show big growth in the Sun Belt of the Southwest. This piece from The New York Times looks into why.

December 30, 2010 - The New York Times

Nevada was the fastest growing state in the nation over the last ten years, but amid that growth has been a severe economic downturn.

December 29, 2010 - The New York Times

At Disney World, getting millions of visitors through the lines of their desired attractions faster is a huge logistical challenge. The theme park is taking a high-tech approach to the problem.

December 29, 2010 - The New York Times

Poverty is high and rising in rural areas across America. But there are also significant differences in the extent of that poverty, depending on the region.

December 28, 2010 - The Daily Yonder

With a recent murder, a shootout-turned-suicide, and a high rate of foreclosure, the reality of Celebration, Florida, is less ideal than appearances would suggest.

December 28, 2010 - Next American City

Cities are commonly thought of as dangerous places for kids to grow up. But a new study challenges that perception.

December 28, 2010 - Grist

New Census numbers show that Ohio is now less than 4% of the total U.S. population, which hasn't been the case since the Census of 1810.

December 27, 2010 - The Columbus Dispatch

People who live in walkable neighborhoods watch less TV, participate in more local organizations, and trust their neighbors more according to a new report from the University of New Hampshire.

December 27, 2010 - Treehugger