Social / Demographics

How Transit Agencies Can Offer Supportive Services
As more people experiencing homelessness seek shelter in transit facilities, transit agencies are looking for ways to offer assistance and reduce interactions with law enforcement.

What is Vision Zero?
First adopted by the Swedish parliament in 1997, Vision Zero is a strategy aimed at eliminating pedestrian deaths by improving road design and infrastructure with a focus on safety.

Houston Creating 'Equity Indicators' Report
To better plan and track its progress toward equity, the city of Houston is creating a new system of equity indicators.

How Rent Control Helped Create East Palo Alto
The story of East Palo Alto’s incorporation is one marked by great contention among local stakeholders, but also provides valuable lessons for organizers in forging and mobilizing local coalitions.

Designing for Dementia
Proponents of 'dementia design' call for inclusive design that centers the experience of people living with dementia and other disabilities that impact how they experience the urban environment.

A Land Use and Development Playbook For Value-Capture and Creating Currency For Local Community Development
Larry Kosmont shares what cities need to do to meet escalating state requirements; add housing density; fix shopping centers; replace sales tax; pay for constituent services; plan for the future; and capture value created by economic restructuring.

'Tiny Home Village' Fires Raise Doubts About Their Sustainability
'Tiny home villages' were touted as a quick, if temporary, solution to California's housing crisis, but a series of fires is raising concern about their safety.

2021 U.S. Population Growth Slows to Unprecedented Rate
The nation's three largest cities lost a combined 700,000 residents between July 2020 and July 2021—the fastest growing regions in the country couldn't keep up. The new data is being framed in the media as evidence of the decline of cities.

How a Feminist Perspective Can Make Cities Better for Everyone
An argument for embedding a feminist analysis into planning practice.

Easing the Burden of High Gas and Housing Costs for Low-Income Households
Low-income families suffer most from dramatic spikes in housing and transportation costs, but governments can soften the impact through a series of actions.

Riders Getting Stuck in SEPTA Tunnels Due to Increased Security Measures
As ridership dropped during the pandemic, Philadelphia's transit agency started locking station doors to keep unhoused people from using the tunnels as shelter. Now, riders are becoming trapped inside.

Detroit Plans Freeway Removal To Spur Economic Development
City and state officials hope the proposal to turn part of I-375 into a walkable boulevard will help bring back businesses and economic vitality to the area.

Census Data: Black Americans Leaving Cities for Suburbs
The trend of Black Americans leaving urban areas for suburban communities mirrors the White Flight of the mid-20th century but for vastly different reasons and with vastly different consequences.

Study: Foreclosure Main Factor in Chicago's 'Black Flight'
More than violent crime or employment rates, foreclosure has largely driven the exodus of hundreds of thousands of Black residents from the city.

Boston Aims for Fare-Free Transit
The city's new mayor wants to see fare-free transit funded as a public good throughout the Boston region.

Second Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 11 marked the second anniversary of WHO's declaration of the pandemic and the beginning of its third year. Cases continue to plummet in the U.S. and plateau globally while war in Europe has overshadowed the virus that has killed 6 million.

Traffic Deaths in Cities and Suburbs, a 2020s Update
Traditionally, many cities have had lower car crash death rates than suburbs. But is this still the case?

UC Berkeley Commits to Supportive Housing Project in People's Park
The university will work with the city and local nonprofits to provide 42 units of housing and supportive services to unhoused people living in Berkeley's iconic People's Park.

Wastewater System Upgrade Plans Already Out of Date
Some Midwest cities' plans to upgrade decades-old sewer systems rely on outdated rainfall predictions as flood risks grow due to climate change and shifting weather patterns.

Zoomers Breathing New Life Into Cities
Young renters are flocking to big cities with lucrative job markets and ample social amenities, belying the 'urban exodus' myth.
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