Social / Demographics

Climate Gentrification in Miami
With the threat of sea level rise, homes on higher ground in Miami are becoming increasingly desirable. But they are located in low-income communities of color, and residents are facing rising housing costs and displacement.

Meeting the Challenge of Feeding 10 Billion People Sustainably in 2050
With world population to grow by about 2 billion by 2050, and with more people eating higher on the food chain as nations develop economically, can world agriculture reduce its carbon footprint? A new World Resources Institute report shows how.

Affordable Housing Cap-and-Trade Idea Resurfaces
In New Jersey, a cap-and-trade system existed for two decades and appeared to just perpetuate housing and social inequities. But now legislators and researchers are considering it again.

Washington State Budget Makes Puget Sound Orcas a Priority
Southern Resident orca numbers are distressingly low. The proposed budget would fund a number of measures to help the whales.

Learning the Wrong Lessons From France's Yellow Vest Movement
The widespread Yellow Vests protests, which initially involved hundreds of thousands of protestors in November, are wrongly being interpreted as a movement against carbon taxes and climate action, rather than a revolt against social inequities.

San Francisco-ization, a City's Biggest Nightmare
Cities spend a lot of time and energy pointing to examples of what they don’t want to become.

Chicago’s Black Population Could Drop by Half by 2030
1.2 million African Americans lived in Chicago in the 1980s. Now Cook County loses tens of thousands of African Americans every year.

Displacement Controversy Arrives in SeaTac
Controversy surrounds a development deal in the city of SeaTac, after the city made a $15.5 million development deal that could displace a local business community powered by immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

California Population Growth Continues to Slow
The latest demographic data released Friday by the state's demographic unit shows shows an increase of 0.54 percent, one of the lowest on record, as birth rates drop, death rates increase, and more people leave the state than arrive from others.

Critiquing the Notion of Neighborhood Character
Zócalo Public Square Editor Joe Mathews takes aim at the phrase, “We want to protect the character of the community," calling it a lousy argument in normal times and verging on "treasonous" due to climate change and California's housing crisis.

Dollar Stores Encroach on the Grocery Business: Bad News for Public Health
Stores like Dollar General and Dollar Tree are putting a lot of grocery stores out of business, leaving communities with fewer places to buy fresh produce.

Most Popular Planning Articles of 2018
We crunched the numbers on all the features, blog posts, and news articles we published in 2018 to figure out which made the biggest splash with readers.

British Columbia's Climate Plan Bans Sales of Gas and Diesel Passenger Vehicles by 2040
Ten years ago, British Columbia launched North America's first carbon tax. This month, Premier John Horgan unveiled the long awaited climate plan, CleanBC, that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 2007 levels by 2030.

Black-White Segregation Decreasing, Slowly
Segregation is decreasing, even in America’s most segregated big cities.

Population Growth at 80-Year Low
William H. Frey reveals the most important takeaways from the recent population data released by the U.S. Census, and recommends the country focus on caring for an aging population and leveraging immigration for economic growth.

Lamenting the Decline of Caracas, Once the 'Jewel of Latin America'
"A generation ago, Venezuela’s capital was one of Latin America’s most thriving, glamorous cities; an oil-fuelled, tree-lined cauldron of culture that guidebooks hailed as a mecca for foodies, night owls and art fans."

Bikeshare Programs Lack Accessible Options
City bikeshare programs are failing to provide equal access for disabled residents, the Times reports.

Gentrification Threat Spreading in Houston, Particularly on City’s East Side
A decrease in affordable housing, the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and demographic changes mean more of the city’s neighborhoods are facing gentrification challenges.

What’s the Life Expectancy in Your Neighborhood?
To create a tool for people better understand their cities and communities, Quartz mapped life expectancy in cities down to the census tract levels.

How Many People Live in Cities? The Answer Isn't Obvious
The measures of urbanization vary widely, and the differences pose a challenge in developing policies and plans for cities.
Pagination
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie