Social / Demographics

Museums are transitioning from niche cultural sites to community hubs, and expanding their engagement with their cities.

July 23, 2009 - Christian Science Monitor

Contaminated water is bad news for cities, unless nobody knows about it. This post from Good looks at some of the most notorious water contamination cover ups in recent U.S. history.

July 21, 2009 - Good

Small towns in New Mexico are increasingly being used as film locations. But for some locals, the invasion of Hollywood is not worth the economic benefits.

July 21, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Prague's temporary riverfront beach gives locals a summer destination and a view on the city's iconic architecture.

July 21, 2009 - The New York Times

Crime is down in big cities across America, leaving experts wondering why.

July 20, 2009 - The Washington Post

A high rate of poverty, a large population of illegal aliens, and a next-door neighbor to one of the most dangerous cities in the hemisphere, El Paso would seem to be a hotbed of danger. But it's actually one of the safest big cities in America.

July 20, 2009 - Reason

Federal stimulus money is bringing a new health center to a Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Locals are hopeful that the new development will add some prosperity to their poor area, but nobody's especially confident that it will.

July 14, 2009 - The New York Times

This piece looks at a public art project that placed 30 pianos in public places throughout London in an effort to encourage more public interaction.

July 13, 2009 - The New York Times

Fighting gang crime in Los Angeles is as easy as leaving the lights on at neighborhood parks.

July 13, 2009 - The New York Times

According to a new draft master plan, the Clairborne Expressway may be the next freeway to join the nation's growing highway to boulevard movement.

July 13, 2009 - The Times-Picayune

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has issued a directive that seeks to mandate healthy eating and food production in the city.

July 12, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Michael Jackson's life would have been incredibly different (read: more normal) and lasted longer if he lived in New York instead of L.A., argues Gigi Levangie Grazer. She says the isolating qualities of L.A. enabled the downfall of the King of Pop.

July 12, 2009 - The Huffington Post

The posh San Francisco Bay Area town of Tiburon is planning to install cameras that record the license plate numbers of all cars coming into town. Police will use the system to apprehend criminals or investigate crimes.

July 11, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

The Los Angeles Police Department's crime-tracking website has been omitting thousands of violent crimes. 40% of crimes reported so far in 2009 are not included in the public website.

July 10, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Homelessness has jumped in the nation's suburban areas, according to a study from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Of those in U.S. shelters, 32% are in rural or suburban areas.

July 9, 2009 - USA Today

Bulldoze? Densify? Walk away? There are many ways cities can react to shrinking populations and abandoned neighborhoods. Planetizen readers decide which ways are the best.

July 9, 2009 - Nate Berg

The population is falling -- the population of U.S. troops stationed in Baghdad, that is.

July 4, 2009 - The New York Times

With the Census Bureau still without a Director and the 2010 Census looming, the count is facing a new threat in the form of right-wing conspiracy theories.

July 3, 2009 - The Progress Report

Cities on the rise are growing faster and cities on the decline are shrinking slower, according to new figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

July 2, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. Census Bureau recently released a list of the fastest-growing cities, in terms of population growth. Those on the list are hoping their growth will pull them through the recession.

July 1, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor