Social / Demographics
California Redefines Density
Census data reveals that California is the most urbanized state, with the most dense urban areas. But in California, sprawl, density, crowding, and urbanism are not always what they seem. Fortunately, a new law may help planners make sense of it all.
UN Issues World Happiness Report
The first ever World Happiness Report, published by Columbia University's Earth Institute, reflects a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and absence of misery as criteria for government policy.
Do Urban Minds Think Alike?
Ryan Sager looks at the results of two recent studies that explore the ways in which cities, commonly lauded as bastions of diversity, actually incubate groupthink.
What Would an Independent Republic of Texas Look Like?
With mockumentary-style coverage, NPR's John Burnett imagines the trials of a state's secession.
As the Global Population Explodes, Experts Ask Where They'll Live
A conference held in London last Tuesday, called "Planet Under Pressure," provided a forum to begin to answer the question, reports Roxanne Palmer.
Carrie Bradshaw Meets Jane Jacobs: Living Single In The Big City
More people live alone in the United States now than at any other time in the nation's history, and most of those people live in cities. Eric Klinenberg's Going Solo describes the next great demographic and urban trend.
America's Expanding Cities
Nate Berg explains why recent headlines about the rise of the country's urban population shouldn't have smart growth advocates claiming victory just yet.
Mapping Religiosity in America
Richard Florida examines the implications of newly released survey data from the Gallup Organization, which documents the country’s well-defined "religiosity belt" stretching across its southern tier.
Documenting America's Most Unrecognized Social Change of the Last Half-Century
Earlier this week, Eric Klinenberg spoke with PBS' Newshour about his new book, "Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone", and the biggest social change of the last 60 years that we've failed to adequately recognize.
The Turning Tide of White Flight in the South Bronx
Joseph Berger describes a demographic transformation underway on the Bronx's Grand Concourse.
New Census Numbers Detail Surprising Facts About Urban Density
John King considers a new report released by the Census Bureau on Monday, which finds that of the ten most densely populated urbanized areas in the United States, nine are in the West.
Why are City Dwellers Mean?
Will Doig probes the reasons why people in cities are less likely than people in rural areas to intervene to help a stranger or confront wrongdoing.
Did the Built Environment Contribute to the Trayvon Martin Tragedy?
In an opinion piece for Better! Cities & Towns, Robert Steuteville argues that the Sanford, Florida, case is partly about what happens to a gated development when residents find themselves on the same side of the gate as people they fear.
Mapping the Top Job Markets
Richard Florida ranks the U.S. cities with the highest job growth in 2011 and finds some surprises, based on an analysis of the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics by Aaron Renn.
New Jersey Groups Come Together to Tackle Childhood Obesity
The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids is leading an effort to make time for physical activity and put healthy food on children's plates, Beth Fitzgerald reports.
Why Are You Walking So Fast?
Eric Jaffe examines research on just what it is that makes people walk faster in New York than, say, Fargo, North Dakota.
Reading America Through the Eyes of an Outsider
Gabrielle Esperdy tags along on the travels of Reyner Banham, the British historian and critic of modern architecture and design, connecting them to the great historical travel accounts of Europeans abroad in America.
Visualizing the Growth of the World's Urban Population
An interactive visualization recently released by Unicef presents a startling picture of the world's urban population growth from 1950 to 2050. Mark Wilson deconstructs its implications.
Branding Kansas City through Graphic Design
Sharon Gochenour explores the ways in which the evolution of graphic communications – from building signage to official logos – represent various aspects of Kansas City's identity.
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.
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
