Social / Demographics
Ethnic Groups Are Reinterpreting the Burbs
'Fringe Benefits: Cosmopolitan Dynamics of a Multicultural City' is the name of an exhibit open now at the Design Exchange in Toronto. Urban designer Ian Chodikoff explains his inspiration for the show.
Chickens Aren't Just For Countrysides Anymore
Residents of Austin, TX are risking violation of city ordinances forbidding loud animals to raise chickens in their central city neighborhood backyards. It's partly a way to cut out-of-pocket expenses.
Where Do Child Care Centers Belong?
A Houston bedroom community decides against allowing childcare centers to mix with other businesses in strip centers.
Water Needs Limit Growth
Formerly small towns near Boston have experienced high growth rates in recent years. But despite their potential to keep growing, water supplies and aging infrastructure will likely be a limiting factor.
Real Estate Broker Takes Heat in Changing Harlem
Harlem is undergoing a rapid change in terms of demographics and income levels. One real estate broker is at the front of driving this change, and many in the neighborhood are not happy about it. But is this change avoidable?
Lost In Leisureville
The number of retirement communities is growing rapidly. Author Andrew D. Blechman warns about the social cost of age-segregation.
The Metropolitanization of America
In this column from Governing, Peter Harkness looks at the increasing influence and power of metropolitan areas.
A Public Housing Experiment Faces Problems
The Chicago Tribune examines what became of an ambitious city project, led by Mayor Daley, to revolutionize public housing. Private developers received public funding to tear down old projects and replace them with mixed-use neighborhoods.
What's In A Neighborhood's Name?
Officials in Los Angeles have renamed the former "South Central" to remove the stigma of riots in the 1990's. But some business owners and residents say that's had a greater negative consequence than keeping the old name would have.
Density Creates Democrats
The Boston Globe says that when suburbs become denser, 'Democrats promising mass transit become more appealing than Republicans promising to protect gun ownership.'
Kid Noise An Unfamiliar Problem in Cities
As more families choose to live in denser cities and neighborhoods, apartment dwellers must learn to deal with noisy tots.
Wrangling Growth As An Exurb Expands
The exurban town of Buckeye, Arizona, is expected over the next two decades to grow from a population of 25,000 to more than 400,000. Planners are trying to do what they can to control the flood.
Corner Store Signs: Are They Blight?
Dallas's city council passed an ordinance restricting the percentage of window space a storefront can use for advertisements. Council members say the signs are creating or adding to blight.
The Importance of Posters in Public Life
Street posters play an important role in participatory civic life, according to this article from re:place magazine.
Bad Mortgages and Gas Prices = Good For Cities?
The article suggests that rising gas prices, enduring subprime mortgage crisis, and some changing demographics (i.e., the aging of Baby Boomers) are all contributing to the greater popularity of central city neighborhoods.
Is Urbanism to Blame For Social Alienation?
This commentary from ArchNewsNow wonders whether urbanism is really the cause of social alienation, not the cure.
Open Source Architecture
Architects are coming together to create innovative designs aimed at solving the world's tough humanitarian problems.
Reviving the Lowly Clothesline
A grassroots group is working to remove barriers to erecting clotheslines, which are commonly banned by apartments buildings as a blight. The group is pitching their work as an energy conservation effort.
Boston Artist District Battles Gentrification
Boston's Fort Point Channel neighborhood, New England's largest artist community, is struggling to retain its identity as developers continue to transform studio space into condominiums.
San FranYuppyland?
San Francisco's rapid loss of low and middle-income residents is taking a toll on the city's social fabric.
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
