Social / Demographics

Emerging Trends Report: Urbanization is the 'New Normal'
The Toronto Star picks up on the Urban Land Institute's Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, finding the trend of urbanization in Canada to reflect the trend in the United States.
Charting the Decline of Chicago's Middle-Class Neighborhoods
A post on the Chicago magazine site dives into research showing how Chicago has segregated by income since the 1970s.
Demographic Changes Mean a New Suburban American Dream
New Republic reprinted a portion of William Frey's new book, "Diversity Explosion: How New Racial Demographics are Remaking America."
Disappointment, Pessimism, Rage: Is this America at Middle Age?
Community conversations often devolve. Could it be partly due to the "midlife crisis" of the North American demographic? Can we look forward to a time of more social connectedness in the next decade, as we recalibrate to less "me," more "we?"
Selling Urbanism: Don’t be an Aristarchus
As urban planners, we must not only innovate, but make our innovations count in the marketplace of ideas. We must make the benefits of livability easily understood, with a clear path for making them happen. Scott Doyon encourages rooted innovation.

Goodbye Two-Car Household; Hello Rideshare and Carshare
A new study from KPMG predicts that the U.S. will go from a majority multi-car household to one where only 43% of households have more than one motor vehicle by 2040, and rideshare and car-share, along with demographic changes, will play key roles.
Urban Churches Adapt to a Changing City
In Washington, D.C., residents, shops and restaurants come and go, often moving from neighborhood to neighborhood. But churches remain. They anchor the community as it changes, and often find themselves changing with it.

Why Accusations of 'Racism' Don't (Usually) Work
Conservatives and liberals tend to define "racism" very differently. As a result, accusations of racism tend to be unsuccessful outside ideologically homogenous environments.
The Human Dimension of the Physical City
In his latest two contributions from the south of France, Chuck Wolfe reminds urbanists of the backdrop of the human dimension of affinity, conversation and daily rituals that stand behind the physical, human scale.

The Chicken and the Egg: Gentrification and Bicycling
Shaun Courtney examines the current politics surrounding gentrification and bicycling throughout the country and what planners can do to address the issue.
Study Complicates Relationship of Population Growth, Emissions Reduction
More people translates to more emissions, right? Cut back on population growth and you'll reduce emissions and the threat of climate change, along with other environmental woes—it's a no-brainer. Or is it?
How to Solve the Pension Challenge
Diana Lind of Next City poses five ways big cities can alleviate some of their pension funding problems.
2050: Year of the Minority Majority
Tanvi Misra discusses with William Frey of the Brooking Institution the repercussions of the demographic flip expected to occur by 2050.
A Census for City Streets
Eric Scharnhorst, project manager at Gehl Architects, argues for a wide-scale census instrument detailing city life, not just pedestrian counts and fatalities.

Berliner Kinder: Berlin and its 'Playborhoods'
Are you thinking about playborhoods, playsheds, and free-range kids? Berlin's Kolle 37 hits it out of the park. Literally.
Pew Study: U.S. Cities Still Recovering from Recession
A new Pew Charitable Trusts report discusses the ongoing recovery of American cities from the 2008 Great Recession, more than five years after it officially ended.

Women Unwelcome in French Public Spaces
Suburban Paris plays host to a disturbing trend: no comfortable public spaces for women, especially for women from immigrant and low-income groups.

Explained: Vacancies, Population Decline, and the Importance of Household Size
Jason Segedy has published a long, brutally frank look at blight and vacant properties, especially at the underappreciated culprit for the woes of so many shrinking cities around the Rust Belt: household decline.
China's Baby Bust
When China relaxed its rigid one-child policy last November, health officials were expecting an additional two million births to result. As of Sept. 30, they have received only 804,000 applications from eligible couples.
Did Advocates Overreact to Bike Safety Report?
When I read the subtitle to the recent GHSA bike safety report, "Adult Males and Urban Environments Now Represent Bulk of Deaths," I took an interest as I fit that demographic. I was surprised to read here about the dispute that erupted from it.
Pagination
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EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service