Social / Demographics

Big and Getting Bigger

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

Growing Fast and Riding the Momentum

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

Cash-Strapped Cities Ditch Fourth of July Fireworks

Tight budgets are causing cities across the country to skip fireworks displays for their Fourth of July celebrations.

June 29, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

The Shared Woes of the Auto Industry and the Black Middle Class

The downfall of the American auto industry is also having a major impact on middle and working class African-American families. This piece from the The New York Times Magazine looks at the connection.

June 29, 2009 - The New York Times Magazine

City People Do-It-Themselves

This post from The New York Times' blog examines how city government's are increasingly relying on automated services to keep order and boost revenue, and how citizens are reacting.

June 28, 2009 - The New York Times

Bicycle Use Surpasses Car Use in Amsterdam

According to the latest numbers out of Amsterdam, residents are for the first time using bicycles for transport more often than they use their cars.

June 27, 2009 - The Oregonian

Suburbs are Growing Faster

A report from the US Census Bureau shows that the nation continues to suburbanize.

June 25, 2009 - New Geography

Under Surveillance

The city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will soon be one of the most watched cities in the world, with plans for 165 closed circuit cameras monitoring public spaces.

June 23, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Most Unaffordable Housing, Most Livable Cities?

The Economist magazine has published it's list of the most livable cities in the world. But quite a few of these cities have the most unaffordable housing, complains Owen McShane.

June 22, 2009 - New Geography

Finding Public Space Wherever They Can in Cairo

Dense Cairo has few sanctioned public spaces. So residents make do wherever they can.

June 21, 2009 - The New York Times

Sidewalks Key Factor Influencing Physical Activity

A new study provides further evidence that incorporating sidewalks into existing neighborhoods is a practical and inexpensive way of encouraging people to exercise.

June 18, 2009 - SDSU NewsCenter

Masterplanning the Architecture of the Near Future

As the population rises, underused and empty spaces are going to fill in. How well the transition works depends on shifts in demographics and infrastructure, as well as architecture. A studio of UCLA architecture students were asked to plot that transition. But before they could be architects, they had to be planners.

June 18, 2009 - Nate Berg

Parkour Enthusiasts Rediscover The American City

While urbanists have long used the built environment as their playground, the French sport of parkour is connecting residents of America's cities to their surroundings in a new, if not extreme manner.

June 18, 2009 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Well-Designed Prison, Well-Behaved Prisoners

A prison design in Austria that emphasizes inmate comfort and dignity raises questions about the role architecture and design plays in preventing or encouraging more crime.

June 16, 2009 - The New York Times

Census Undercounts May Cost State

An audit of the past census found that 373,567 Texans were not counted, for an estimated loss of $2,913 per person-or $1 billion in federal funds from 2002 to 2012.

June 11, 2009 - The Houston Chronicle

Tiny Town Tries to Recover From Immigration Bust

When an immigration raid brought down the dominant employer in tiny Postville, Iowa, last year, nearly half of the town's population were either deported or lost their jobs. As the town struggles to regain its feet, its learned some tough lessons.

June 5, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor

The Challenge of Finding People Before Counting Them

Collecting Census data can be a daunting task. But in some places, like New York City, just finding the people to survey can be most of the challenge.

June 5, 2009 - NPR

Congestion Pricing And Equity

Is congestion pricing unfair to poor people? Rand has released an Environmental Defense Fund-sponsored report, "Equity and Congestion Pricing" that attempts to answer this question and report on other equity-related aspects of congestion pricing.

June 3, 2009 - Environmental Defense Fund - Press Release

Census in a Fortune Cookie?

The U.S. Census Bureau is putting marketing messages in soaps and fortune cookies in foreign languages in an attempt to improve the number of participants.

June 3, 2009 - USA Today

What About the Uncreative Class?

Columnist Josh Leon agrees with Richard Florida's assessment that greater mobility would be better for the economy and the creative class, but wonders what will happen to the immobile and un-creative.

June 1, 2009 - Next American City

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.

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Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

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Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

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A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.