Social / Demographics

As the world continues to urbanize and megacities continue to grow, cities are increasingly "unrecognizable," no longer necessarily, say, places of political power. David Pillings repots on this and other issues challenging the traditional city.

November 6, 2011 - Financial Times

Nate Berg introduces us to a branch of astrophysicists hoping to utilize new telescope technology to locate potential alien cities on distant planets.

November 5, 2011 - The Atlantic

While the rest of the city's waterfronts are to be developed as public promenades, much of Brooklyn wants to retain its previous industrial uses. Liana Grey reports.

November 5, 2011 - Real Estate Weeky

The new edition of the Grand Theft Auto series will parody LA, including its idiosyncratic planning landscape, which will feature avaricious developers, activist NIMBYs, and a oceanside dwelling starchitect.

November 4, 2011 - Curbed LA

In the last installment of a three-part series on "Buy Here Pay Here" car dealerships, Ken Bensinger reports on the link between car ownership and income among the poor. Historically, legislation for low-income car ownership has been resisted.

November 4, 2011 - Los Angeles Times

In an another nuance of the ownership laws that govern New York's parks and plazas, the modernist masterpiece Lever House will close today to keep its plaza privately public.

October 31, 2011 - The New York Times

Last week, local officials announced that the troubled city's largest employers, including three hospitals and a university, will begin offering incentives to lure workers into buying homes in the area. Geoff Mulvihill reports.

October 30, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Drawing from lessons learned by a Seattle-based economic development organization working in Africa, Chuck Wolfe notes that "[s]ometimes, finding a way to keep a meaningful rural existence trumps city life."

October 28, 2011 - myurbanist

Halloween may mark the world reaching 7 billion. Population author Vanessa Baird looks beyond the number into both fertility and consumption rates, showing why it is a mistake to get caught up with the increase in population rather than consumption.

October 28, 2011 - The Guardian - U.K.

Natalia Echeverri profiles Asheville, NC, a town that that has transformed itself into a grassroots-oriented, local creative hub. One highlight? A recycled "design-build" studio constructed in 10 weeks.

October 27, 2011 - POLIS

"Carjacked" author Anne Lutz Fernandez says Time's tearful coverage of the traffic deaths of a 72-year-married Iowa couple fails to recognize the true problem: that Americans are persuaded that driving = living.

October 26, 2011 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

Tom Angotti believes that community participation and neighborhood-level planning are key to a wider network of bike infrastructure in New York City.

October 26, 2011 - Gotham Gazette

In this Washington Post blog, Brad Plumer writes on a New American Foundation report on rising gas prices and their disproportionate impact on the poor and middle class. Public policies intended to reduce fuel consumption, however, benefit the rich.

October 25, 2011 - The Washington Post - Blogs

The food truck phenomenon is here to stay and stimulating tangential industries that include truck outfitters, permit expediters, lawyers lobbyists, website designers, and marketing professionals.

October 24, 2011 - The Atlantic

The 2010 Census reveals that Detroit's population is approaching the 1910's level. Of the City's 714,000 residents, 83% are black and nearly 40% live in poverty. With virtually every statistic going against its favor, can Motown make a comeback?

October 23, 2011 - The Economist

New York City may be diverse, but it is also one of the most segregated places in the country, and a rash of recent events involving civic employees reflects this. Until this is remedied, New Yorkers "won't have as much to brag about as we think."

October 23, 2011 - The New York Times

Kaid Benfield argues that continues revitalization of inner city neighborhoods is essential to achieving an equitable civil society, sustainable patterns of growth and maintaining a tax base to fund civic improvements.

October 22, 2011 - The Atlantic

Community board members, representing a traditionally Dominican neighborhood with six- to 10-story buildings, recently rejected one developer's plans for a mixed-income project of 800+ apartments, fearing gentrification and non-contextual development

October 22, 2011 - The New York Times

The Economist paints a gloomy picture of an ailing Detroit, but also says there is hope in the form of urban pioneers attracted by the affordability of space.

October 21, 2011 - The Economist

Denver was the angriest city in the nation with 12,018 protesters per million, 5000 attending the April 15,2009 Tea Party Protest, and 2000 for the the October 15 Occupy Wall Street protest.

October 20, 2011 - The Daily Beast