Social / Demographics

View from Bayview Park in San Francisco, California

Bay Area Displacement and Gentrification Trends Have Regional Consequences

Displacement in the San Francisco Bay Area has resulted in distinct mobility patterns and significant race and class inequalities.

October 11, 2018 - Urban Displacement Project

Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017

District By District, Maps Trace Neighborhood Opportunity Across the U.S.

Down to the level of individual census tracts, a team of researchers has developed national maps showing where upward mobility is probable, and where it isn't.

October 10, 2018 - The New York Times

Toronto, Dundas St, Chinatown

New Research Shows Toronto Highly Segregated Along Race and Class Lines

A closer look at the numbers reveals stark divides among Toronto neighborhoods.

October 10, 2018 - Toronto Star

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

California Energy Efficiency Program Could Be Much More Effective for Low-Income Residents

According to an analysis by the Energy Efficiency for All coalition, California's Energy Savings Assistance Program could be four times as effective for low-income renters if it were better deployed.

October 9, 2018 - NRDC

Seattle light rail

Transit Ridership Rises in Seattle, With Income Differences Among Riders

Transit ridership is up in Seattle, and higher income riders are more likely to use it.

October 9, 2018 - Seattle Times

Boston Aerial

Boston to Consider Workforce and Investor Diversity in Real Estate Decisions

Beginning this week, the city of Boston will ask developers how they plan to include women and minorities as workers and investors when putting city-owned real estate out for bid.

October 8, 2018 - The Boston Globe

For Rent

Is Residual Income a Better Metric for Housing Affordability?

The common metric for measuring housing affordability—whether households pay more than 30 percent of their income on shelter—has its downsides. Looking at residual income offers more precision in some respects.

October 8, 2018 - Joint Center for Housing Studies

Lafayette BART

City's Opposition to BART TOD Bill Factors into City Manager's Retirement

Steven Falk, city manager for 22 years of the East Bay enclave of Lafayette, expressed frustration with the city's resistance to infill development, calling it incompatible with addressing "the most significant challenges of our time."

October 6, 2018 - SF Gate

Tiny House Prefab

Closure of Tiny House Village in Seattle Prompts Concern

Meant to serve chronically homeless people, the Licton Springs tiny house village has been controversial from the start. It's uncertain whether enough permanent housing exists to resettle all residents.

October 6, 2018 - KUOW

Detroit Vacant Properties

Why Canadian Cities Avoided Detroit's Fate

Simply put, this scholar says, it comes down to race. With far fewer non-white urban residents, Canadian cities didn't fall prey to the redlining, white flight, and incarceration problems that so heavily impacted cities like Detroit.

October 5, 2018 - The Detroit Free Press

Maryvale Arizona Desert West Community Center Skateboard Park

Creative Placemaking's Role in Enhancing Community Safety

Efforts across the country show that these projects have the added benefit of improving community safety.

September 30, 2018 - Urban Institute

Illinois Governor

Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee Becomes Debate Issue in Illinois Gubernatorial Race

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner might as well have accused his Democratic opponent of wanting to hike the gas tax. J.B. Pritzker denies he plans to introduce a VMT fee but admits that he's open to all ideas to raise revenue to maintain infrastructure.

September 27, 2018 - Illinois News Network

Nationwide Children's Hospital

Hospitals Reaching Out to Their Neighbors Through Development

A hospital in Columbus, Ohio, seeks to improve the lives of area residents by investing in the surrounding neighborhood.

September 27, 2018 - CityLab

California State Capital

Regional Housing Needs Allocation Reform Bill on Gov. Brown's Desk

The lone survivor of Sen. Scott Wiener's trio of "Housing-First Policy" bills awaits a decision by Gov. Jerry Brown. Senate Bill 828, intended to increase the amount of land zoned for housing in California cities, was weakened by amendments.

September 25, 2018 - The Real Deal

MBTA Bus

How Transportation Assistance Can Fight Homelessness

Transportation access is one of the biggest factors in keeping people out of homelessness. Cities can help with discounted fares and last-mile connections.

September 25, 2018 - CALmatters

Big Tex Urban Farms Hydroponic Tank

A Thriving Dallas Farm Feeds and Educates Year Round

A hydroponic farm on the grounds of the Texas State Fair helps residents in the food deserts of South Dallas.

September 24, 2018 - The Dallas Morning News

Los Angeles Homeless

Alternative Analysis Pegs L.A. Homeless Count at Over 100,000

Casting doubt on an official estimate of around 52,000, researchers at a Los Angeles-based nonprofit put the number at close to double that level. That's accounting for anyone who became homeless at some point during the year.

September 23, 2018 - The Los Angeles Times

Airport

Friday Eye Candy: Mapping Distance and Social Connectedness

The New York Times published an interactive map that shows how important distance is in determining connections on social media.

September 21, 2018 - The New York Times

Climate Change

The Next Environmental Stewards

The research is clear: For climate leadership, look no further than young people, people of color, and young people of color.

September 20, 2018 - The Hill

BMW Electric Vehicle

Gov. Jerry Brown Signs 16 Bills to Spur Sales of New and Used Electric Vehicles

On the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit, co-host Gov. Jerry Brown signed 16 bills onboard a new plug-in hybrid electric ferry in San Francisco Bay to spur sales of zero-emission vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

September 20, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.