Social / Demographics
Increasing Density Not So Easy In Queens
A major rezoning in Jamaica, Queens, to allow more jobs and housing, up to six stories, is cautiously supported by some community boards, and opposed outright by others.
Shifting Demographics Give New Face To Great Plains
The population shift from rural to urban areas is making big changes in the Great Plains. While many rural small towns are disappearing, the shift is opening new doors for business and preservation.
Mistakenly Low Census Count Results In Loss Of Funding
A Canadian city suspicious about the low population count reported in the national census decided to do its own count. The city found 2,000 more people than the census -- a figure that would have equated to $600,000 more in federal grant money.
An Urban Renaissance As Population Rises
After decades of population decline, New York City is growing again.
Portland Suburbs May Increase Density To Handle Growth
The Portland area's population is expected to gain more than a million people by 2030, and the suburbs ringing the city are looking to handle the growth by increasing density, building higher, and developing more vibrant suburban town centers.
Can Vancouver Remain The Most Livable City?
Vancouver has once again been named the most livable city in the world. But some fear that the qualities that pushed the city to top honors will be hard to maintain as the city grows.
Poor Benefitting From 'Poverty Tours'
In the squatter settlements in South African slums, a burgeoning new industry is developing around so-called "poverty tours", where Western tourists are taken off the beaten tour path to see what life is like in impoverished squatter communities.
The Line Between Fighting Gentrification And Plain-Old NIMBY
When does an 'anti-gentrification group' cross the line to simply stopping progress in a community? That charge has been leveled against San Francisco's Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition after the city's environmental review process was expanded.
Cities Take New Approach To Housing The Homeless
Many American cities are looking to new ways of handling their homeless populations, including programs that provide assistance in renting permanent housing rather than pouring money into temporary shelters.
Outsourcing City Hall
Four unincorporated communities in Atlanta have become new cities...and outsourced neary all government services to private corporations.
Census Asks Immigration To Halt Raids During Count
Census officials are asking immigration officials to halt raids during the 2010 Census enumeration process in hopes of obtaining an accurate count of illegal immigrants in the country.
Tent City On Its Way Out Of Edmonton
The homeless population of a government-sanctioned tent city has slowly dwindled to less than half its original size as officials in the Canadian city of Edmonton move forward with plans to close the impromptu squatter settlement.
A Middle Class Emerges In Latin America
Improvements in public services and rising wages are fostering the creation of a prosperous middle class in many Latin American countries.
The Top Towns For Adventure
National Geographic Adventure has released a guide to the best adventure towns in the U.S. Their lists include the best small towns, cities, mountain towns, coastal towns, and others.
Infamous Drug City Is Reborn
Medellín, Colombia, has escaped from the bloody grips of the violent drug warfare that consumed its streets in the 1980s to become a vibrant and active city.
Personal Tales Of Road Rage In The City Of Angels
As more cyclists and runners use the streets of Los Angeles, incidents of road rage and accidents are on the rise.
Grass-roots Action Could Improve World's Slums
Can globalization change the world's poorest neighborhoods?
Downtown L.A. Is Improving, But Developers Are Driving
With a surge in population and some large-scale retail and entertainment complexes in the works, downtown L.A. is in the midst of a major urban shift. But as this column from the Los Angeles Times argues, developers are shaping the growth.
The Positive Effects Of Block Parties
Getting neighbors together for community events does more than prevent crime, according to the Project for Public Spaces.
Lifestyles Clash At Urban Growth Boundary
At the edge of Portland's urban growth boundary, a clash of rural and urban lifestyles is causing disputes between homeowners, farmers, and hunters.
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
Tyler Technologies
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
