Social / Demographics

L.A. OKs Sidewalk Sleeping

City officials in Los Angeles have come to a settlement with homeless advocates that will allow anyone to sleep on the sidewalk until the city builds 1,250 affordable housing units, which could take up to five years.

October 12, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Staten Island Sees Flood Of Hipsters

As more of the "creative class" moves to Staten Island, the area enjoys a boost in hipness.

October 11, 2007 - The New York Times

A Working Class Neighborhood Battle With Foreclosure

In the struggling city of Lawrence, Massachusetts, sub-prime mortgage foreclosures are threatening the community's stability and the longterm viability of the city's minority and working class neighborhoods.

October 10, 2007 - The Boston Globe

Little Mosque In The Suburbs

Urban ethnic enclaves are nothing new. But Peace Village, just north of Toronto, is: it's Canada's first all-Muslim subdivision, where houses feature separate rooms for men and women, and the streets are filled with pedestrians.

October 10, 2007 - The National Post

San Franciscans Ready For Action On Homelessness

Left-leaning San Franciscans are just about fed up with the issue of homelessness in the city. Many are advocating for more strict law enforcement.

October 10, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Early Morning Commuters Take Toll On Suburban Roads

In suburban Minnesota, the number of people getting up early for pre-dawn commutes to the city is on the rise, and it's changing the way businesses operate and how towns handle the demand on their roads.

October 10, 2007 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Rising Costs Cause Turnaround In Florida's Growth

Florida seems to be losing its edge at attracting new residents. More people are moving out than in, and rising costs are taking the blame.

October 10, 2007 - The Wall Street Journal

Italian Cities Are Slowing Down

More and more Italian cities are getting on board the "Slow City" movement, from the big to the tiny.

October 7, 2007 - Der Spiegel

Idaho Looks For Smarter Growth

As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, Idaho should begin to think hard about what that growth means to the environment, writes Rachel Winer.

October 5, 2007 - The Idaho Statesman

Grandpa, What's A 'Pay Phone'?

Entrepreneur.com's list of the 10 types of businesses most likely to be extinct in 10 years suggest a very different kind of city.

October 4, 2007 - Entrepreneur.com

Illegal Aliens To Have Big Effect On Census And Reapportionment

Census 2010 is on the way, and a new report is warning that the high concentration of illegal immigrants in the South and West will skew counts and unfairly reapportion more congressional seats to states with more undocumented people.

October 3, 2007 - The Hartford Courant

Urban Anthropologist Looks At People And Public Spaces

This article from The New York Times briefly profiles Project for Public Spaces Founder Fred Kent, and presents his appraisals of four New York neighborhoods.

October 3, 2007 - The New York Times

America's First Suburb Turns 60

Levittown, Long Island held a 60th birthday bash for itself on Sept. 30, complete with parades, to celebrate its creation from a potato field for GIs returning from World War II. It would go on to become America's iconic suburb.

October 2, 2007 - Yahoo News

On Common Ground?

Despite a recent wave of crime, the Boston Common continues to bring people together from all walks of life.

October 1, 2007 - The Boston Globe

Changing Demographics Bring Changing Density

New research shows that newcomers to urban areas take up twice as much room as longtime residents.

October 1, 2007 - The Minnesota Daily

An Aging Population Leaves Future Of Cities Uncertain In Japan

Japan's population is aging, and could drop by more than one-quarter of its size within 50 years. Many are calling on the government to plan for the diminishing population, and for how it will affect many of the country's cities and suburbs.

September 27, 2007 - The Washington Post

Will Amsterdam Turn Off The Red Light?

In a move to clean up the world-renowned district of ill-repute, a $35 million dollar buyout will cut more than one third of the prostitution rooms in Amsterdam's famed Red Light district.

September 26, 2007 - Time

Transit Village's Promises May Be Too Ambitious

This editorial from Boulder, Colorado's Daily Camera takes a critical look at the projected demographic shifts that some say would be created by a proposed transit village in the city.

September 26, 2007 - Boulder Daily Camera

Assembly-Line Schools Cater To Growth

Fast-paced growth in Loudoun County, Virginia, has created the need for more schools. In the past 11 years 37 have been built, boasting the precision and efficiency of an assembly line. But is faster better?

September 26, 2007 - The Washington Post

Struggling Paris Suburb Still Waits For Help

Clichy-sous-Bois, the Paris suburb that ignited angry rioting amongst France's young minorities in 2005, is still waiting on the government to provide for its struggling populace.

September 26, 2007 - Bloomberg

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

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