Social / Demographics

Toronto GO Transit

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.

November 27, 2014 - The Toronto Star

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.

November 26, 2014 - Chicago Magazine

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."

November 26, 2014 - The New Republic

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?"

November 24, 2014 - PlaceShakers

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.

November 21, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Two-Car Garage

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.

November 21, 2014 - CNBC

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.

November 18, 2014 - Elevation DC

Wall

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.

November 18, 2014 - Michael Lewyn

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.

November 18, 2014 - The Huffington Post

Prospect Park Bike Lane

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.

November 18, 2014 - Urbanful

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?

November 16, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

How to Solve the Pension Challenge

Diana Lind of Next City poses five ways big cities can alleviate some of their pension funding problems.

November 16, 2014 - Next City

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.

November 15, 2014 - CityLab

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.

November 14, 2014 - Next City

Berlin Playborhood

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.

November 14, 2014 - PlaceShakers

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.

November 13, 2014 - Bloomberg News

Paris Park

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.

November 12, 2014 - Citymetric

Detroit Vacant Properties

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.

November 11, 2014 - Notes from the Underground

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.

November 11, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

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.

November 10, 2014 - Governing

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.