Social / Demographics

Why Kids Can't and Won't Walk to School in Laguna Beach

Getting kids to walk to school has been a nationwide campaign for years. But some places say it's just not safe. Some urban forms -- like that of Laguna Beach, California -- prove it.

October 20, 2010 - NRDC Switchboard

Using Domes to Understand Concerns

Conflicts inevitably arise during design discussions and policy talks. A team of architects has created a new way of understanding each side's concerns, mainly by diagramming them into distinct domes.

October 19, 2010 - Urban Omnibus

City Revival Through the Arts

A suburb of Tel Aviv is trying to revive itself by becoming an arts destination.

October 18, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Designing Cities in an Age of Scarce Water

Freshwater is becoming increasingly scarce. Our cities will need to address these shortages with better design, according to author Steven Solomon.

October 16, 2010 - Grist

Lack of Transit Intensifies Suburban Poverty

In the last ten years, more than two thirds of poverty growth has happened in suburban areas of American cities. According to Brookings', social services such as transit have failed to keep up in the face of decreasing tax revenue.

October 16, 2010 - The Next American City

If You Build It, They Won't Walk

Trails and walking paths are commonly built in suburban areas. But their mere presence doesn't automatically mean they'll be used, according to a new study.

October 15, 2010 - Miller-McCune

Rebuilding America through Equitable Development

The objectives of urban redevelopment and meeting the needs of underserved communities are not mutually exclusive goals, says Carlton Eley.

October 14, 2010 - Carlton Eley

Psychologists Subject Cities to Personality Tests

Two recent studies suggest urban areas and geographic regions have distinctive temperaments.

October 14, 2010 - The Infrastructurist

The White House's New Neighborhood Revitalization Effort

A collaboration between five different neighborhood-focused federal efforts seeks to aid and inspire neighborhood revitalization.

October 13, 2010 - Next American City

'Inchvesting' in the Future of Detroit

A group in Detroit has begun an effort to sell of one-inch parcels of land in the city for $1.

October 13, 2010 - Boing Boing

Community Development Through Pie

A new community kitchen and pie-baking program in small town Alabama is trying to help a struggling and impoverished area rebound.

October 12, 2010 - The New York Times

New Study Reveals Poverty Growing Twice as Fast in Suburbs

A Brookings Study of census data finds that since 2000, the number of poor people in the suburbs jumped by 37.4% to 13 million and "the growth rate of suburban poverty is more than double that of cities."

October 11, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

The Fastest-Growing Cities in the World

Writing for Forbes, Joel Kotkin looks at the fastest-growing cities in the world, and shows how powerhouse cities like New York and Mumbai are being challenged by lesser known places.

October 8, 2010 - Forbes

Downtown Dallas Breaks Freeways' Concrete Stranglehold

Dallas is hoping to break the ring of concrete created by the surrounding Central Expressway and Interstates 30 and 35.

October 8, 2010 - Dallas News

Walled Communities in Beijing Fight Crime, Spark Controversy

Small enclaves of low-wage workers in Beijing have been walled off from their surroundings in an effort to reduce crime. The separating walls have become a local controversy.

October 6, 2010 - The New York Times

India Tries to Hide its Poor As Games Begin

As the Commonwealth Games get underway in New Delhi, India, locals are upset that officials have made efforts to hide slum areas from the view of visitors.

October 5, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

'Doubling Up' Increases

'Doubling up', when multiple families live under one roof to save money, is nothing new - it increases when economic times are difficult, especially with extended families. However, the Census reports that adults aged 35+ now exceed younger groups.

October 4, 2010 - NPR

Counting Foot Traffic in Times Square

The BBC talks with some of the people involved with counting pedestrians in New York City's Times Square. Since being closed off to cars, foot traffic has greatly increased.

October 1, 2010 - BBC

Community-Led Efforts Unseen in New Orleans

Looking back on five years of recovery in post-Katrina New Orleans, Roberta Brandes Gratz bemoans the fact that much of the community-based work remains below the radar.

September 30, 2010 - The New York Times

Taking the 'Mass' Out of Mass Transit

Is the isolation of personal rapid transit truly viable for mass transit?

September 29, 2010 - TheCityFix

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.