Census

Close-up on postal worker hanging mail out of a mail truck to resident standing in front of black mailbox.

US Census Starts Using Postal Workers as Census Takers

A test program is using postal carriers to administer Census questionnaires.

March 24, 2026 - The Associated Press

Two workers at U.S. Census 2020 booth on street.

Two Lawsuits Aim to Strip Immigrants, Privacy Protections From US Census

The two cases could have major impacts on how Americans are counted in the next census.

January 13, 2026 - Associated Press

Collage of 5 GIS maps from the ESRI American Community Survey (ACS) Atlas Collection.

Explore US Demographics With the New ACS Atlas Collection

Esri's new ACS Atlas Collection offers interactive applications that visualize the latest U.S. demographic and socio-economic data, enabling users to explore over 175 curated web maps across various thematic areas.

February 27, 2025 - ArcGIS Blog

Group of children dressed warmly and wearing COVID-19 masks

Families With Young Children Left Cities At Higher Rates During Pandemic

New Census data reveal that families with children under five led the migration out of major U.S. cities between 2019 and 2021.

July 28, 2022 - Economic Innovation Group

Residential Neighborhood

Fact Sheet: What Is a Housing Unit? What Are Group Quarters?

Most people live in housing units. But what counts as a housing unit? This article clarifies the basic concepts and provides examples using the Census Bureau’s guidelines. A clear definition is prerequisite for understanding an area's housing stock.

December 19, 2021 - PlanIt - Metropolitan Council

U.S. Census Bureau

Debunking the Myth of the Declining White Population

Media claimed that Census data showed a sharp decline in America's white population, but the widely publicized figure reflects a misunderstanding of new data collection techniques.

November 17, 2021 - The Atlantic

Houston Third Ward

A Tour of Houston's Rapidly Gentrifying Neighborhoods

These Houston communities have experienced the most dramatic demographic changes in the last decade, according to new Census data.

September 27, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Manhattan, New York City

Cities Are Back (At Least They Were Before COVID)

The 2020 Census results show that central cities were gaining population to a much greater extent than earlier Census estimates had suggested.

August 16, 2021 - Michael Lewyn

2020 Census

Census Undercount Will Have Long-Lasting Repercussions

An undercount is likely this year, particularly in communities that are traditionally underrepresented. As a result, cities will not have access to crucial federal funds over the next decade.

August 30, 2020 - Politico

U.S. Census Bureau

Trump Decides to Cut the 2020 Census Short

The pandemic delayed the 2020 Census, and the Trump administration will cut it short. Experts say this could be the most flawed Census in the country's history.

August 10, 2020 - Newsweek

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Information for Rental Property Owners

There are a number of obstacles and issues related to the 2020 Census enumeration of apartment building residents. This set of FAQs covers “Census Information for Rental Property Owners.”

January 27, 2020 - Metropolitan Council

Chicago Transit

A Tale of Two Estimates

While transit agency data shows ridership going down, Census data shows ridership going up. Why?

August 27, 2019 - Michael Lewyn

Seattle Downtown

Post-Recession Migration Patterns of Younger and Older Americans

New census data shows that millennials and seniors are migrating less, a result of the Great Recession and its economic impacts. For those who are moving, cities in the Sun Belt have been primary destinations.

February 15, 2019 - Brookings

Federal Building

Census Citizenship Question Still Not Decided

Cities fear federal funding cuts if the citizen question stays on the Census and results in an undercount of Latino populations.

February 1, 2019 - CityLab

London 1854

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.

December 16, 2018 - Quartz

Traffic and Speed

Transit Ridership Down, Commute Times Up, Census Says

Driving alone continues to grow as the most common method of commuting.

October 29, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Downtown Phoenix Skyline

Phoenix Joins Growing List of Cities Suing Over Citizenship Question

Phoenix sues Trump over change to census questionnaire which some believe could cost the city $350 million in federal funding.

June 9, 2018 - The Nation

Busy Downtown

How Social Physics Explains About the World

Big data has ushered in a new era of Social Physics.

April 25, 2018 - BBC - The Big Idea

Census.gov shutdown message

Explained: The Risks Facing the 2020 Census

Why some experts are very concerned that Census 2020 will fail the democracy that depends on it.

February 6, 2018 - YouTube

Seatle Skyline

The Urban Revival Is (Probably) Not Over

Critiquing Richard Florida's claim that "the urban revival is over."

September 28, 2017 - Michael Lewyn

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

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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.