Social / Demographics

Unhoused People Overwhelmingly Want One Thing: Shelter
Two new studies shed light on what people experiencing homelessness actually need by using a shocking new tactic: asking them.

The Consequences of Sprawl: Overcrowded Housing and Covid Deaths
Los Angeles is the nation's capital of both crowding and sprawl. A feature published by the Los Angeles Times provides the history of how the metropolis achieved this contradiction.

Driving as a Risk Factor: A New Paradigm
New strategies are needed to achieve ambitious safety goals such as Vision Zero. This requires a paradigm shift, a change in the ways risks are measured and potential safety strategies evaluated.

Breaking the Bias on Public Transport
How gender-sensitive data collection can make public transit safer for women.

Following Lawsuit, Philadelphia to Add or Fix 10,000 Curb Cuts
Disability rights advocates won a settlement that directs the city to improve accessibility on its public roads over the next 15 years.

New Studies Shed Light on Relationship Between Zoning and Racial Integration
While zoning is just one of many factors impacting racial integration and economic mobility, it is an issue with some of the more straightforward solutions.

Renting on the Rise, With Consequences for Neighborhoods
A higher share of Americans are renters than at any point in decades. Neighborhoods all over the country, especially in downtowns, have many more renters than they did in 2010.

Opinion: Make Safe, Slow Streets the Default
For people with disabilities or limited mobility, a lack of safe infrastructure can cause significant disruptions, delays, and safety hazards.

Opinion: Opening Restrooms to Public Is Good for Business
For many people with chronic illnesses, access to public restrooms can be a critical medical issue. Incentivizing businesses to open their restrooms can fill a critical gap in U.S. cities.

"Imagineering" Versus Planning
The conference of the California chapter of the American Planning Association took place across the street from Disneyland this week. What Disney does for fictional landscapes, planners must do for real landscapes.

How Remote Work is Changing the Playing Field for Workers With Disabilities
The more widespread acceptance of working from home is helping millions of Americans with disabilities get back into the workforce and find better job opportunities.

Placemaking: Building on the ‘Soul’ of a Place
Placemaking is often mistaken for a form of manufacturing. Every place already has a story to tell—placemaking just brings that story forward.

Sacramento Voters to Decide on Using Lawsuits to Reclaim Sidewalks
Measure O may be one of the first ballot measures of its kind to empower residents to take legal action against a city for illegal encampments on city property. The Sacramento City Council voted 7-2 on August 9 to place the ordinance before voters.

The Great American Exodus: A Conservative's Perspective
During his keynote speech on September 11 at the National Conservatism Conference in Miami, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis describes the demographic shifts in America since he became governor in 2019 in what he calls the 'Great American Exodus.'

Promoting Diversity in Transit Leadership
Latinos in Transit works to connect and empower people of color to increase diversity in management roles at transit agencies.

D.C., San Francisco Lead Pandemic Work From Home Trend
Remote work increased threefold during the pandemic, but the numbers vary significantly from city to city and region to region. Almost half of D.C.-area employees, for example, worked from home in 2021, according to American Community Survey data.

Twin Cities Volunteers Help Recent Immigrants Navigate Transit
Showing refugee and immigrant residents how to use public transportation can improve access to essential services, jobs, and education, but a more robust transit system is needed to effectively serve all who need it.

How Tax Assessments in a Supposedly Progressive County Are Reinforcing Racism
Buncombe County in North Carolina was one of the first places in the U.S. to support reparations for Black residents. So why is the county not doing a better job of addressing property tax inequities that directly impact residents of color?

Making Healthy Places
The editors of the book "Making Healthy Places," recently published in a second edition by Island Press, discuss the intersections of public health and planning, including key concepts such as green gentrification, health impact assessments, and AI.

Democrats Call for Stronger Action on Environmental Justice
The Justice40 initiative could make a major difference for communities burdened by pollution, but only if funds are spent on projects that maintain a focus on equity.
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