Social / Demographics

The Manliest of Cities

AskMen.com ranks the Top 29 cities in the world to be a man, using a highly scientific ranking system based on the price of an iPod, the city's GDP, the ratio of men to women, and - the efficiency of public transit?

April 20, 2010 - Ask Men

Transit Officials Broaden Vision for Phoenix Light Rail

Changing demographics and transit demands in the Phoenix area are causing transit planners to rethink where the region's light rail system should expand.

April 20, 2010 - The Arizona Republic

Miami: The Changing Face of America

The city of Miami is the setting of a forthcoming book by novelist Tom Wolfe, whose works have come to define eras in American culture. Some say his selection of Miami as a setting shows that the melting pot city is the face of a changing America.

April 19, 2010 - Guardian

Immigrants Play Key Role In Economic Vitality Of Metro Areas

While a new analysis of census data revealed the importance of immigrants to regions and refuted commonly held beliefs, it revealed a clear preference for high-skilled immigrants which in turn is influencing federal legislation.

April 17, 2010 - The New York Times - U.S.

Recognizing and Addressing Safety Issues for Women in Cities

Safety is a major concern for the world's women on a day-to-day basis. From riding the bus to walking at night, if women don't feel safe, they won't do it. Cities need to take a more active role in addressing this challenge, according to this post.

April 15, 2010 - Next American City

Giving Neighborhoods a Role in PlaNYC

New York City's long-term sustainability plan is coming up on its three-year anniversary. Tom Angotti says that now's the time to take its broad citywide efforts down to the neighborhood level.

April 15, 2010 - Gotham Gazette

Commuting, Happiness, and the Size of Your House

New studies show that long commutes are significantly detrimental to people's happiness. So why choose the bigger house outside of town over the smaller house? Jonah Lehrer talks about the "weighting mistake" theory.

April 14, 2010 - ScienceBlogs

Productivity Through Density

People naturally want to be near each other, which some suggest is one explanation for the increasing urbanization and densification of the world. Edward L. Glaeser argues that the information-based economy will push that trend even further.

April 14, 2010 - The New York Times

Despite Growing Population, Number of Households Falls

The United States population is on the rise, but the number of households within the U.S. is falling. Many link the drop to the downturn in the economy.

April 13, 2010 - RIS Media

Ahead of World Cup, Cape Town Shack Dwellers Relocated

Slum dwellers in the suburbs of Cape Town have been forcefully relocated to a shack housing complex out of town -- and out of sight of the hundreds of thousands of visitors expected to descend on the city for this year's soccer World Cup.

April 13, 2010 - France 24

Growing Transit in Growing Cities

As urban growth continues, the role of public transit systems will escalate. Though some cities already have the infrastructure in place to adapt to this expected growth, many cities are starting to worry about what they'll do when the people come.

April 13, 2010 - Wired

Sustainable: Buzz Killing the Buzz Word

In his commentary, Rob Steuteville questions whether we should work toward sustaining what we have, or building a more resilient future.

April 12, 2010 - New Urban News

Embracing Baltimore's Existing Arts Districts, Not Creating New Ones

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie C. Rawlings-Blake wants to turn the city's west side into an arts district. This article from The Baltimore Sun argues that the city already has enough arts districts and should focus efforts on those.

April 11, 2010 - The Baltimore Sun

How the Internet is Improving Your Walkshed

Worldchanging's Alex Steffen reflects on the increasing impact of Internet-enabled information sharing at the community level, and suggests that it's helping to make neighborhoods more walkable.

April 11, 2010 - WorldChanging

The Personality Types Filling Out the Census

As residents across the county fill out and return the Census, Richard Florida and colleagues try to nail down what type of people are most likely to participate.

April 9, 2010 - The Atlantic

Detroit Cosmopolitanism: An Open Letter to a Ballplayer's Skeptical Wife

When baseball player Johnny Damon signed a contract to play for the Detroit Tigers, his wife voiced concerns about the city not being cosmopolitan enough. This open letter to Mrs. Damon argues that the city has more going for it than many assume.

April 9, 2010 - Model D

The Demise of the Gay Neighborhood

In cities across the country, gays formed communities in neglected neighborhoods to create safe havens and strengthen political identity. Today, the identity of these 'gayborhoods' is fading as other demographics move in.

April 8, 2010 - Obit Magazine

State Seeks 1.5 Million Missing People in 2010 Census

How many people live in California? The current count could be off by 1.5 million people, and a lot is riding on the results of the 2010 Census. Josh Stephens talks to planners and state leaders about the flaws in the Census and how they'll shape state policy.

April 8, 2010 - Josh Stephens

Global Leaders Discuss the Mutual Challenges of Urbanization

The recent World Urban Forum in Brazil attracted media from around the world, but surprisingly few from the U.S. But as Neal Peirce writes, that doesn't mean the U.S. government wasn't involved.

April 6, 2010 - Citiwire

Act Now to Create a Successful Detroit

This op-ed from The Detroit Free Press looks at ambitious goals for the city ten years into the future, and argues that citizens will need to start acting soon to turn those dreams into reality.

April 6, 2010 - The Detroit Free Press

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.