Social / Demographics

Boston's Deeply Discriminatory Rental Market Ignores Black Renters
A new study documents staggering racial bais in the Boston rental market and compares the racial disparities among prospective tenants seeking housing in 2018 and 2019.

New Opportunities for Big Data in Pandemic-Era Urban Planning
Big data startups and corporations are collecting information that can help planners make informed decisions about how to facilitate social distancing. Will planners center data-driven decisions in other planning processes?

July 4th Weekend a Time for Reckoning
As the U.S. celebrates its 245th birthday, the nation's top infectious disease expert issued a stern warning—the U.S. is on a path to having 100,000 Americans infected daily with Covid-19. In Florida, another expert warns that time is running out.

'Freedom to Move Act' Would Provide Federal Support for Free Transit Programs
New legislation by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) would also target fare enforcement on the nation's transit systems.

Census: 'Race-Ethnic Minorities' Responsible for U.S. Growth in the 2010s
The U.S. Census Bureau dropped a whole bunch of population estimates at the end of June, revealing details about the rapid demographic evolution of the country.

More Baby Boomers and Fewer Young People: More Dependents Among the U.S. Population
The first baby Boomers turned 65 in 2011, and now the population of the United States has a growing number of residents over the age of 65. The country also has fewer people under the age of 14.

COVID-19: What About Those Protests?
While not conclusive, evidence suggests that relatively few transmissions of the coronavirus occurred during the widespread protests that followed the death of George Floyd due to the outdoor settings, being in motion and wearing of masks.

Right-to-Purchase Policy Empowers Tenants In San Francisco, Fights Gentrification
A new policy in San Francisco gives tenants the opportunity to purchase their listed buildings with the help of non-profit corporations, a cause for celebration among anti-gentrification advocates in the Bay Area.

Mapping Eviction Risk
Millions of renters are at risk of eviction as federal support runs out and the economic realities of the pandemic take hold.

A Plan for a 'Just Green Recovery'
The Rhodium Group charts a path toward an economic recovery plan that would also achieve social and environmental benefits.

How to Define the Suburban: HUD Survey Sheds New Light
A new HUD survey could help change the way the federal government defines the "suburban"—a notoriously tricky proposition.

When Discussing Racist Monuments, Don't Forget Urban Freeways
The racist history of planning in Los Angeles is particularly evident in the way Interstate freeways were planned in the region.

Coronavirus Vaccine Could be Available by End of the Year, But...
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is helping to lead the Trump administration's response to the pandemic, shared positive news with CNN on the progress of the vaccine project but admitted that due to two factors, it is likely not to achieve herd immunity.

COVID's New Demographic
Younger people are making up more of the new cases of COVID-19 as the coronavirus explodes in the Sunbelt states, particularly Arizona, California, Florida, and Texas, bringing with it new attention on bars as settings for high viral transmission.

Chicago's Planning Director on Leadership During Crises
Maurice Cox, planning commissioner for the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, is the subject of this in-depth coverage by the Chicago Tribune.

Capital Gains Tax Under Consideration in Seattle
A proposed capital gains tax would invest $37 million per year in solving affordable housing and homelessness crises in Seattle.

Limited Housing Supply Correlated with Higher Rates of Gentrification
For insights into the gentrification of U.S. urban areas, researchers studied high-income buyers of housing in lower-income neighborhoods. To slow gentrification, the housing supply must be boosted, say the researchers.

Texas Hits Pause as Hospital Beds Fill Up
Coronavirus cases are surging throughout the South and West. With growing hospitalizations threatening the capacity of the health care systems in major cities in Texas, Gov. Gregg Abbott pressed 'pause' on the state's reopening plan.

Pandemic Reversal: The New Tri-State Quarantine
Almost three months ago, President Trump announced "sometime today we’ll do a quarantine, short term, two weeks, on New York, probably New Jersey, certain parts of Connecticut" to prevent viral spread to Florida. On Wednesday, the roles reversed.

More than a Pause: Reversing the Reopening
As coronavirus infections grow throughout the South and West, governors and local officials will need to consider rolling back their reopenings. Bars and nightclubs closed in Boise on Wednesday in what may be a sign of what's to come.
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