Social / Demographics
Family Structure Shifts in New York City
Family makeup is changing in New York City, where unmarried partners are on the rise and households with children are on the decline.
NYC Streets Transformation a Cause for Celebration
A number of articles have recently been written criticizing New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan for dramatically changing the city's mobility. This column from Metropolis says that criticism is misdirected.
The Best and Worst Cities for Transit
The Brookings Institution recently analyzed the top 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. to see how easy it is to use transit. Time presents the best and worst from the list, which includes some surprises.
Trying To Reclaim and Reuse Abandoned Land in Philadelphia
Community groups in Philadelphia are trying to remake blighted vacant properties into community gardens and neighborhood amenities.
Isolation and Dissatisfaction in the Suburbs
A new study looking at neighborhood satisfaction finds that people living in the suburbs are less satisfied than urban dwellers.
Supermarkets Designed to Make You Fat
Access to healthy food is a major issue in public health. But just because there's a grocery store nearby doesn't mean health will improve. One entrepreneur looking at supermarket design says the way stores are laid out negatively affects health.
Reasons That the Home Building Biz is Still Busted
Witold Rybczynski writes the epitaph for the McMansion. With the housing market in the toilet, Rybczynski says new homebuyers are going to be seeking something smaller, more affordable and possibly not a single-family home.
Mega-Events Take Toll on Brazil's Slum Dwellers
This op-ed from Al Jazeera looks at some of the negative ways preparations for the World Cup and Olympics are affecting the poor in Brazil.
Do You Approve or Disapprove of Public Art?
An independent group is seeking to "ignite essential discussions about art in Los Angeles" by getting locals to put APPROVE or DISAPPROVE stickers on public art around the city.
The Problem With "Most Livable Cities" Lists
Edwin Heathcote of the Financial Times says that lists of the "Best Cities" often fail because they select cities that are the most "livable", ignoring what makes cities "lovable".
Has Canada Botched "the Mother of all Data"?
The 2011 Canadian Census marks a new era in population information: it is now a brief and voluntary household survey, which has led to widespread concern that Canadian public policy will be left fundamentally crippled, writes Sean Kilpatrick.
PWC Ranks Top "Cities of Opportunity"
PricewaterhouseCoopers recently published the fourth edition of Cities of Opportunity. The report rates 26 cities in a range of categories (including transportation and infrastructure, for example) and then comes up with a master ranking.
Cities for Single Moms
Zillow has created a list of the top ten places in America for single moms to live, based on five metrics including women's earning rates, violent crime rates and walk scores.
A People-Friendly Plaza for D.C.
A new public plaza is being built in Washington D.C., and this rundown from The Dirt highlights its people-focused design.
The Warhol Community
In comparing the legacies of artist Andy Warhol and urban thinker Jane Jacobs, this essay suggests that the sort of urban community we think of today is more a result of Warhol.
Stadium Renovation Prices out Brazil's Poor from its Most Revered Public Space
As Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, renovations to the Maracana, an infamous soccer stadium in Rio de Janeiro, are pricing out the city's poor. Some say the work is killing one of the city's few egalitarian public places.
New World Population Peak Forecasted: 10.1 Billion
The U.N.'s population division has increased their world population projection, previously set to peak at mid-century at 9 billion. Now they say it will continue growing to reach 10.1 billion by 2100, with Africa tripling its numbers.
Whitest Downtown Gets Even Whiter
Portland, Oregon, famed in planning circles, has a diversity problem that is only getting worse. Downtown is getting whiter, while the demographics of the surrounding area get more diverse.
Forbes' "Best Cities for Jobs 2011"
Joel Kotkin teamed up with Michael Shires to produce the annual Best Cities for Jobs list for Forbes Magazine.
Suburban Growth Still Leads, But in Changing Ways
Suburban population growth in the U.S. is still on the rise, but new trends show that those suburbs closest to urban cores and those farthest away are driving the growth.
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
