Social / Demographics

Pedestrians Fight For Rights In Greece

Cars and scooters rules the roads -- and often the sidewalks -- in Greece, making things difficult for the country's pedestrians. A new activist movement is looking to bring illegal parking and pedestrian-right-of-way violations to light.

November 9, 2007 - International Herald Tribune

UK Healthy Towns: A Step Too Far?

The government in the UK has announced plans to create "healthy towns" that encourage exercise through urban design. Is this idea going too far to control peoples' activity?

November 7, 2007 - Spiked

Race-Related Sprawl

In this interview, civil rights leader and environmentalist Van Jones talks about the interconnections between urban sprawl, racism and the "prison-industrial complex".

November 7, 2007 - AlterNet

Shhh, Don't Share This News About Portland

After a New York Times real estate article points out that on top of being one of America's most livable cities it is also one of its most affordable, there could be mass migration to Portland.

November 7, 2007 - The New York Times

Rules On Immigrants Pushing People Out Of Quebec

Tight restrictions and codes relating to immigrants their assimilation in Quebec are being blamed for causing a mass exodus from the Canadian province.

November 3, 2007 - CBC

The Media Loves Portland -- But Why?

Everybody loves Portland, but this article from Willamette Week deconstructs the media crush on the city from inside its borders.

November 2, 2007 - Willamette Week

What L.A. Can Learn About Homelessness From Other U.S. Cities

Strategies used by cities such as Miami, Philadelphia, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, & Denver for reducing homelessness are working.

October 31, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Halloween Street Festival Cancelled In San Francisco's Castro District

After a rash of violence at its annual Castro district Halloween festival in recent years, San Francisco has put the kibosh on this year's festivities. City officials are hoping word of the party's cancellation has been heard.

October 31, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Residents In Disaster-Prone Areas Say Risk Is Worth It

Southern California's wildfires have emphasized the fact that many people choose to live in disaster-prone areas all across the country. Many of them say the benefits outweigh the inherent risk.

October 30, 2007 - U.S. News & World Report

Border Towns Share More Than Boundary

The border towns of El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico, are increasingly becoming more and more alike -- from demographics, to land development types, to housing prices.

October 30, 2007 - The New York Times

Saloon City

Belo Horizonte is by no means a well-known city from the South American country of Brazil. But with more than 12,000 bars, the city is gaining notoriety as one of the world's best places to drink.

October 29, 2007 - The New York Times

The Most Sedentary Cities In America

Americans across the country suffer from unhealthy diets and too little exercise, but these cities' residents are the worst offenders.

October 29, 2007 - Forbes

Downtown Toronto Booms

With a flood of new condos, booming downtown Toronto is the fastest-growing area in the city.

October 28, 2007 - The Toronto Star

A Nation Of NIMBYs?

Recent polls show that anti-development sentiment is stronger than ever, with 75 percent of Americans opposing new development in their communities.

October 26, 2007 - CNN/Money

Growth Pushes People Into Fireplace

Increased development in wooded and fire-prone areas is one of the major causes of California's recent "megafires".

October 25, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor

The Ugliest City In America - The People, That Is

Survey says: Philadelphians are the ugliest (and perhaps the fattest) people in the U.S, while the beach-loving residents of San Diego and Miami are the most gorgeous.

October 24, 2007 - Yahoo News

If The Youth Can't Rent, They Probably Won't Stay

Low vacancy rates are threatening to push younger populations out of Vancouver.

October 24, 2007 - The Globe and Mail

Exploring The Possibilities Of The 'New Neck'

The "Neck" area of the Charleston, South Carolina region, connecting the cities of North Charleston and Charleston, holds the potential to become an urban model regarding several issues which are plaguing the metropolitan area.

October 23, 2007 - The Post & Courier

From The Projects To Section 8

Traditional public housing complexes are on the way out in Atlanta as the city looks to move all of its low-income residents to a system of renting with Section 8 housing vouchers.

October 20, 2007 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kids In The Hall

In an attempt to discourage urban youth from hanging out in the foyers of apartment buildings, French authorities in Le Havre built them their own faux foyer -- with mixed results.

October 18, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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