Social / Demographics
Electronic Signs May Need Different Rules
Officials in Abilene, Texas, are trying to pass an electronic sign ordinance "proactively" but are facing great resistance, as has been the case for other cities.
L.A.'s Fast Food Ban Boosts Health and Healthy Businesses
A moratorium on new fast food restaurants in Los Angeles is seen as a way to encourage better public health, but also a way to encourage healthier businesses.
Best Towns in the U.S.
Outside Magazine looks at the best cities and towns for working, living and playing, with a focus on places that have experienced a renewal.
Megapolitans Rise in the Mountains
This column from Neal Peirce looks at the new megapolitan stronghold of the Intermountain West.
Muslim Count Controversial
A new census of Muslim congregations is reviving controversies over how many Muslims are in the U.S., how they are counted and why it matters.
Diversity from the Bottom Up: Minority Youth Are Becoming a Majority
Integrated inner-city public schools were the first to see this phenomenon more than 20 years ago -- classrooms that were predominately children of color. This was attributed to White Flight: the abandoning of the inner city by middle class Caucasians. Not only are minority youth populations the majority of the public school enrollments throughout the country, they are also now a majority of several United States cities and counties.
The Mentally Disabled in Public Spaces
A psychology site reviews Mental Health and Social Space: Towards Inclusionary Geographies, a book by Hester Parr that looks at new ideas in including (or excluding) people with mental disabilities from public spaces.
The Mega Capital of the World
China is rapidly becoming home to more and more mega-cities, and there's little sign of it slowing down.
NIMBYism Strikes as Residents Fight Senior Housing
Citizens in Weston, Massachusetts, one of America's toniest suburbs, continue to block a local college's effort to build senior housing, raise its endowment and provide scholarships for low-income students.
Mississippi Holds Onto Title as Fattest State in U.S.
This is Mississippi's third year in a row topping CalorieLab's United States of Obesity report. The BBC goes to Jefferson County, MS to find out why.
If They Don't Like It, Why Build It?
Architect Robert Adam likens modern architecture to modern democracy, where decisions made on high supposedly represent the will of the people.
A Move Back into Cities Indicates Changing Middle-Class Mores
Author Alan Ehrenhalt says that conditions are ripe for the permanent return of downtown residential neighborhoods, and that a "demographic inversion" has already begun in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, DC, among other cities.
Swimmers Versus Seals
A popular swimming area at the San Diego area beach of La Jolla has been overrun by seals, making swimming unsafe. Many community members want the seals out, but animal rights activists say they should be allowed to stay.
'Time Bank' Creates Community of Bartering
An online "time bank" has opened in Los Angeles, allowing members to barter services with each other.
Daily Show Looks at 'The Big Sort'
Author Bill Bishop discusses the "big sort" that's resulting in increasingly homogeneous voting patterns in the segment on Comedy Central's Daily Show.
Pay No Attention to the Neighborhood Behind the Curtain
In a last-minute effort to beautify the city before the start of the 2008 Summer Olympics, officials in Beijing have put up walls and screens to hide unsightly neighborhoods from the eyes of visitors. Those behind the walls are not happy.
Should Store Owners Be Allowed to Repel Teenagers?
Stores in Vancouver suburbs have installed a device outside their stores called a 'Mosquito' that emits a high-pitched frequency that the average adult can't hear. The device is effective in decreasing vandalism, but at what cost to public space?
Homelessness Drops 30% from 2005 to 2007
The amount of people living in homeless shelters and on U.S. streets has dropped roughly 30% since 2005, according to recent statistics compiled by the federal government.
New Study Links Obesity to Land Use Patterns
A new study by the University of Utah shows that people who live in walkable neighborhoods are more likely to be leaner than those who live in auto-oriented areas.
New York's Suburban Bicyclists
Whether for exercise, eco-consciousness or necessity, a growing number of suburban New York commuters are using two wheels instead of four.
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
