Social / Demographics

LGBTQ+ Elders Face Compounded Challenges in Accessing Fair and Equitable Housing
Lessons for building affirming, inclusive, and trauma-informed housing developments for older LGBTQ+ adults.

Top Retirement Destinations in California: Where Affordability, Health, and Recreation Meet
These spots offer a balance of affordability, access to healthcare, and outdoor recreation opportunities that make them ideal for those seeking comfort and quality of life in their golden years.

Exposition Park’s $351.5 Million Transformation
This revitalization will create vital green spaces, improve accessibility, and enhance connections with community, making Exposition Park a central hub for recreation and culture in Los Angeles.

Discovering LA’s Biodiversity: The 2024 BioBlitz Challenge
The BioBlitz Challenge invites participants to document local wildlife throughout October using the iNaturalist app, contributing to conservation efforts and scientific research on Los Angeles' biodiversity.

Experts Call for Extreme Heat Action Plans as Communities Face Growing Risks
Experts are urging cities and counties to develop heat action plans and personalized heat warnings as extreme heat becomes a leading cause of climate-related deaths.

Puente Hills Regional Park Development Gets $15M Boost
The federal grant will help to transform the former Puente Hills Landfill into a 142-acre regional park, bringing much-needed green space and environmental benefits to the San Gabriel Valley.

Governor Newsom Signs Bills to Restrict Oil and Gas Operations Near Communities
The signed legislation grants local communities more authority to restrict oil and gas operations near sensitive areas and address the environmental risks of idle wells, while also ensuring the permanent shutdown of low-production wells.

But... Europe
European cities and nations tend to have less violent crime than the United States. Is government social welfare spending the magic bullet that explains this difference?

Extraction on Tribal Lands Contributes to State Coffers
A recent investigation reveals that profits from oil, grazing, and other uses on state-managed tribal lands are funding off-reservation public institutions.

Atlanta: An Urban Planner's Guide to the City
The nation’s first majority-Black city, Atlanta, has a rich identity steeped in African American culture and a sprawling footprint shaped by a complex history of the enterprising ‘Atlanta spirit,’ race relations, and segregation.

San Francisco Could Ban Overnight RV Parking
Advocates say the proposal would further destabilize the lives of people forced to live in their vehicles.

The Essential Role of Parks in Advancing Sustainability
Parks are vital to sustainability, providing environmental, economic, and social benefits that improve public health, support biodiversity, and promote equity, as recognized in Los Angeles County’s OurCounty Plan.

New Study Shows How Urban Trees Improve Public Health
Louisville's Green Heart project demonstrates that strategically planting trees in underserved neighborhoods can significantly reduce inflammation levels, highlighting the health benefits of urban greenery through a novel, data-driven approach.

Puente Hills Landfill Redevelopment Plan Wins Award for Transformative, Climate-Responsive Design
This project to transform a former landfill into a climate-resilient public space has won the 2024 Global Impact Award from ASLA and IFLA for its innovative, community-driven design that addresses environmental and social challenges.

New Book Shows How Geographic Technology Tackles Global Challenges
In his new book, Jack Dangermond explores the transformative impact of GIS technology in solving global challenges through spatial data, highlighting its widespread application across sectors and its potential to design sustainable futures.

Study: Lakes Near Communities of Color Less Inspected for Water Quality
The research is the first of its kind to analyze the relationship between freshwater monitoring and the race and ethnicity of nearby communities.

Envisioning a New Park in East Los Angeles
Los Angeles County is working towards transforming underutilized land into a vibrant pocket park in the City Terrace neighborhood of East LA.

Rising Heat Threatens Growing California Cities
Many rapidly growing inland California cities are facing increased extreme heat days due to climate change, putting more residents at risk of health issues and overwhelming local infrastructure.

Symposium Highlights the Crucial Role of Trees in Combatting Extreme Heat
Experts emphasize that planting and maintaining trees in urban areas is essential for reducing extreme heat, cooling cities, and preventing heat-related illnesses, especially as heatwaves become more frequent and severe.

Stroads, High Poverty Are Commonalities Between US Counties with High Pedestrian Death Rates
Three-fourths of counties with the highest pedestrian death rates also had persistently high poverty rates, according to a Stateline article.
Pagination
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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.
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