Social / Demographics
Cairo Facing Possible Future of American-Style Suburban Sprawl
Real estate investment is expected to rise sharply in the greater Cairo region. Some fear this will bring about American-style suburban sprawl.
Better Transportation Options to Relieve Inequality in Latin America
Safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable public transport options could be integral in addressing inequality in Latin America.
The Most Dangerous Road in Georgia
Blueprint America reports from suburban Atlanta, where getting to the other side of the road is nothing to take for granted.
Pockets of Youth in Rural America
Most of rural America is getting older. But not all of it.
Enforcing Jaywalking With Mimes?
Bogotá, Colombia changed public opinion about jaywalking by putting mimes on the street to mock people who crossed illegally. Paul Romer of Stanford looks at other interventions that changed public opinion when laws couldn't.
Facing the 'Generational Mismatch'
Two age groups are rapidly growing in the U.S.: baby boomers and minors under 18. The difference is that one group is primarily white, while the other is overwhelmingly not.
Improving Suburbia Via A Contest
Can planners and architects build a better model of suburbia? Long Island Index thinks so, and has designed a contest to retrofit parts of asphalt laden suburban Long Island. Ideas are discussed in this NYT blog on design and architecture.
London's Suburbs Attempt to Assert Their Independence
"London's councils seem set on continuing the imbalance between the city center and outer suburbs, where the former supplies most of the jobs, and the latter most of the residents." Joe Peach reports on economic potential of suburban independence.
Cities Adjusted to Attract the Elderly
America is aging. 'By 2030, nearly 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older.' This aging population has significant clout. Nearly one third of the population is over 50, and they control half the country's discretionary spending.
Dispelling the Myths Surrounding China's Growth
Adam Meyer, an architects practicing in Chengdu, scrutinizes some of the myths and projections surrounding China's rapid economic growth which have become so popular in the last half decade.
The Civic Divide Between Quantity and Quality
Aaron M. Renn dissects the "Venus-Mars" split between the high quality and high quantity model and argues that "an hourglass America is not one most of us want to live in for the long term."
NYC Adjusting for Aging
As New York City's population grows older, the city is developing age-friendly districts. The districts will include improvements from grocery discounts to more time to cross busy intersections.
Old Lady Neighborhood Watch
"Vigilant old ladies: another good example of the value of neighborhood social capital (and urban living)."
Dumpster Pools Heading to New York
The City of New York is planning to open three public temporary "dumpster pools" in Manhattan during August.
Fun, Fun, Fun on the Autobahn
Millions of Germans this weekend closed off a 40-mile stretch of autobahn for a banquet and party.
Defusing The Population Bomb Myth
To mark "World Population Day", Grist published this commentary by environmental writer Fred Pearce who asks environmentalists not to fall in the Malthusian trap of blaming population, not consumption.
Cities Shrinking to Survive
"More cities in the developed world shrank than grew in the last three decades. More than 40 of those cities were in the United States, according to City Mayors, an urban affairs think tank," writes Gordon Young.
Cleveland Deals With "James Drain"
The Urbanophile explains that although Lebron James was never going to turn around Cleveland alone, his departure is indicative of the city's reliance "on a never-ending cycle of “next big things” to reverse decline."
Russia: Now With American-Style Suburbanism
With the Russian spies being sent home, Clifford J. Levy wondered if they'd miss the comforts of U.S.-style suburban living. What he found is that today's Russia has imitated the way of life, including gated communities with American names.
Detroit on the Border
Detroit is a city of borders: international borders, borders between cities and not-cities, and borders between the success of the past and the uncertain future, writes Jerry Herron in this essay for Places.
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
