Social / Demographics
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.
Houston Thinks About Changing Lifestyles to Fight Congestion
This segment from NPR features a discussion with Houston Mayor Bill White about the city's increasing congestion, the limits of zoning, and the population's reaction to rising gas prices.
Top 10 Most Livable Cities
Monocle Magazine looks worldwide for the most livable cities.
On the Verge of Replacement, 'Geographical Community' Survives
The rise in virtual connections and Internet-based communities had many worried that traditional community interaction was dying out. Governing's Alan Ehrenhalt argues it hasn't yet, and probably won't.
Soccer Fans Join Together for Street 'Carnivals'
"Football Carnivals" are on the rise in Germany, where the community viewing buzz from the 2006 World Cup has hung around and revived itself for the current European Championship.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
