Social / Demographics
Judaism and Food Deserts
Jewish groups in Los Angeles are taking on the lack of healthy groceries in certain parts of the city, the so-called "food deserts" of LA.
People Rarely Leave 6-Mile Circle
In a study in Europe using cellphone GPS data, researchers discovered that people rarely leave a six-mile area around where they live. GPS cellphone data is being used for a host of urban planning studies like this.
Residential Growth Cap Overruling Could Reshape California
A recent court ruling preventing a California town from placing a cap on residential development could change the shape of the state, according to the San Francisco Chronicle's John King.
The Rise of NORCs
There are senior-living and retirement communities all over the U.S., but a new breed of housing for the elderly is emerging in cities across the world: the Naturally Occurring Retirement Community, or NORC.
Town's Plan to Cap Residential Growth Violates State Law
A judge has overruled a voter-approved plan in the California city of Pleasanton to cap the number of new residences allowed in the city in an effort to curb the area's growing congestion.
Is GDP A Good Indicator of Well-Being?
The Indian state of Kerala has earned an international reputation for its outstanding achievements in social planning. While its GDP typical for India, its social indicators rival many developed countries.
How Prisoners Skew the Census
At Census time, America's prisoners have typically been counted as residents of the places they are imprisoned. But with nearly 1% of the U.S. population behind bars, where they're counted is counting more to the urban areas they came from.
South African World Cup Stadium Costs Highlight Neighboring Poverty
The costs of a new stadium built for this year's World Cup in Nelspruit, South Africa have heightened tensions between the city's poor and its leading officials.
Land Grab in Africa
In what The Guardian calls "the greatest change of ownership since the colonial era," enormous swaths of African land is being sold to foreign countries seeking agricultural lands to feed their growing populations.
Cities Take Reins in Census Marketing
While it's typically states and the federal government that spend most of the money on marketing the decennial census, cities have been taking the lead in 2010.
Understanding Mega-Cities
A new book explores the disconnect between how a "mega-city" region is portrayed through statistics, demographics, etc., and how it is perceived by the public.
Major Shift in Canadian Cities Towards Diversity
According to the latest census data projections, Canada will become a remarkably diverse nation in the coming decades, with increasing ethnic and racial mixing being concentrated in the nations' cities.
Google Gets Bike-Friendly
The latest addition to Google Maps is a bicycle service, helping cyclists plan routes, find bike trails, and avoid hills.
Can Cities "Remix" America?
Carl Anthony suggests that emerging land use policies (such as high speed rail) could threaten to exacerbate trends towards racial segregation, unless there is broader participation from people of color in planning processes.
Inchvesting in Detroit
$1 will buy you one square inch of a vacant lot in Detroit, and membership in Jerry Paffendorf's club of "inchvestors." It may sound like a scheme, but Paffendorf calls it a way to network, invest in Detroit, and attract entrepreneurs.
Infrastructure Spending, Policy Benefit Suburbs and not Cities
Harvard economics professor Edward L. Glaeser argues that the United States has a long, pervasive pattern of anti-urban behavior that needs to change.
Urbanites Make the Case for Goats as Pets
The don't bite. They don't need much space. They follow kids around like a dog. We're talking about miniature goats. Planning commissions across the country are being asked to moved the hooved animals into the "pet" category.
Can Urban Design Alleviate the Need for Cops?
A look at public space as a "community living room" and the role of police within the context of Los Angeles.
Census a Challenge in Abandoned Neighborhoods
Cincinnati's Tract 16 is the neighborhood deemed hardest to count in Ohio by census takers. As the Enquirer puts it, "high numbers of abandoned buildings, low literacy rates and urban poverty make it a people-counting quagmire."
Federal Government Redefines Poverty
The federal government is rewriting the way it defines poverty. As a result, city poverty levels are expected to see major shifts.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
