Social / Demographics

Rural America Gets Even Sparser

Populations have declined in the majority of rural areas in the U.S., according to recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

December 19, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Protesters Blast Wisconsin's Refusal of Rail Money

Protesters in Wisconsin are trying to reverse governor-elect Scott Walker's opposition to stimulus-funding for high speed rail projects -- $810 million that the government would have paid the state.

December 16, 2010 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The Nation's Best and Worst Commutes, By Cost

TheStreet and Bundle have ranked the best and worst commutes in 90 American cities, based on costs and time.

December 15, 2010 - Bundle

Immigrants' First Stop: Suburbia

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that new immigrants have been heading to small towns and suburban areas rather than big cities over the past decade.

December 15, 2010 - The New York Times

Where are the Black Urbanists?

Urbanism tends to be an interest of a small group: the young, the male, and the pale, according to Kristen E. Jeffers who wants to see more groups and more people of color engaged.

December 15, 2010 - Grist

Moving Towards a Melting Pot

According to data from the most recent Census, segregation along racial lines has hit an 100-year low in seventy-five percent of U.S. metropolitan areas. Southern and Western cities have showed the most noticeable integration trends.

December 15, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

Preserving Culture, But Moving From Home as the Permafrost Melts

The village of Newtok, Alaska is subsiding into a nearby river as the permafrost beneath it melts. Villagers want to preserve their heritage, but face moving from their homeland.

December 13, 2010 - Orion

Susan Straight's New Novel Depicts A Vision of LA Rarely Explored

Susan Straight's new novel draws on her experiences of growing downtown LA and its surroundings to create an image of a neighborhood 'reeking of cheap liquor and hurt.'

December 12, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

The Impact of 'Top Cities' Lists

Countless publications have released listings of the "Top Cities" in a wide range of topics. They definitely get attention, but do they make a difference?

December 12, 2010 - Next American City

The Rise And Fall of Cities

Victor David Hanson uses a broad historical perspective to examine the causes of the rise and fall of former world cities. He argues that the computer driven, global age will accelerate the process of growth and decline.

December 11, 2010 - City Journal

More Immigrants Moving to Midsize Cities

According to new research, immigrant homeownership is shifting from large cities like New York and Los Angeles to smaller ones like Las Vegas and Minneapolis.

December 8, 2010 - Miller-McCune

It's A Real Town After All

Last week saw the first murder ever in the Disney-developed (and much scrutinized) town of Celebration, Florida. Will this mean the 14-year old town of 11,000 has finally shaken off its idealized persona?

December 6, 2010 - New Urban Network

Revenue-Hungry Cities Look to PILOTs

Budget-constrained cities are increasingly looking at PILOTs -- payments in lieu of taxes that some tax-exempt nonprofit organizations contribute to cities.

December 6, 2010 - Citiwire

India's Cities Begin To Collapse Under The Strain Of Migrants

After decades of being a nation of rural dwellers, Indians are rapidly moving into cities in search of better jobs, but the housing infrastructure is not keeping pace.

December 5, 2010 - The New York Times

Indonesians Create a Replica Of Singapore To Escape Congestion

Indonesia cities are the product of sparse planning, floods, overdevelopment, brownouts and epic traffic jams magnified by the dearth of public transit. In response, private planned cities like CitraLand's Singapore of Surabaya are growing rapidly.

December 5, 2010 - The New York Times

Local Digital Media Outlets Galvanize Neighborhoods

Washington's panoply of hyperlocal news media is filling the holes left by tradition outlets as web 2.0 expands. Since many of the local newspapers have folded, bloggers and other digital media have grown to cover matters at the local level.

December 4, 2010 - Next American City

The Most Dynamic Cities in the Post-Crash World

A new report from the Brookings Institution lists the 30 most dynamic cities in the world -- cities that are recovering from the global economic downturn with growth in employment and income.

December 3, 2010 - The Atlantic

7 Reasons Why Big Cities Matter

Writing for City Journal, Mario Polese argues that big cities are more important than ever, and backs up his argument with seven reasons they're luring people, from economies of scale to falling transportation and communication costs.

December 3, 2010 - City Journal

Abandonment and Perseverance in Cleveland

Basketball star LeBron James was the king of Cleveland. Then he left town -- a move that says a lot about the city's past and its future.

December 3, 2010 - ESPN

Building Bike Lanes to Lure the Creative Class

As the debate over new bike lanes pits New Yorkers against each other, people should refocus on the economic benefits the lanes can provide, argues Richard Florida.

December 1, 2010 - New York Daily News

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.