Social / Demographics
Immigrant-Driven Economy
A significant portion of greater Cleveland's economy is driven by its immigrant population, according to a new report.
A Bronx Tale: Freeway Widening Halted
Lessons from the Bronx: A community can halt a road expansion project if they get involved and make their voices heard. In this case, the NY DOT listened and thus chose not to widen exit ramps during a rehabilitation project on the Major Deegan.
Expanding Mecca
New plans have been released by Gensler that show a proposed expansion of the holy city of Mecca.
Local Food Movement: Armed and Loaded
Some local food activists are taking their movement to a whole new territory: urban hunting.
North America's First Slow City
The village of Cowichan Bay, British Colombia, has been named the first "Slow City" in North America. This report from Living on Earth tours the town.
Mapping America's Fat
This post from Richard Florida looks at the geography of obesity in America, and relates state obesity rates to the rates of death from various diseases.
Four-Month Sentence for Shooting Cyclist in Head
In an aggravated road rage incident that has been boiled down to simply being a "bad day", a North Carolina man has been sentenced to four months in jail for shooting a cyclist in the head.
Subway Sociology
Because of the abundance of social interaction and diverse clientele, subways have long been the sites of sociological experiments to understand human behavior.
DC Metro's Death Toll Rises
The DC Metro has seen nine suicides this year, up from two in each of the last two years.
Rural America Still Leads Nation in Poverty
Despite gains in the 1990s, the last decade has seen jumps in poverty in rural areas, where rates continue to exceed the national average.
World Bank's Urban Strategy Misses Mark
The World Bank recently released its 10-year strategy for addressing urban issues, focusing specifically on slum areas. Next American City's Josh Leon takes a look at the plan and finds much to be desired.
Suburbs See Rise in Kids in Poverty
2008 Census estimates reveal that in the city center of Fort Worth, Texas, the number of school-age children living in poverty has dropped whereas the surrounding suburban communities have seen increasing numbers.
Transit Use is Growing, But Not Where You Think
Transit saw some big ridership increases over the past few years, but maybe not where you'd expect. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the top ten metropolitan areas where transit use has increased the most.
The Park Prescription
One doctor has begun advising her patients to simply take a walk in the park to improve their overall health. And as she describes in this article, she's not alone.
Small Cities Struggle Through Recession
Smaller cities are showing signs of struggle, as the amount of college-educated residents continues to drop. Coupled with the economic recession, smaller cities seems to be taking a harder economic hit than their larger counterparts.
Suburban Utopias?
This article from the Guardian argues that despite years of derision, suburbia is gaining a more positive reputation as "utopia in a big way".
Mapping: Not Just For Geographers Anymore
Citizen volunteers are democratizing the field of online mapping, spreading out to document neighborhoods and streets worldwide.
Transit Expansion is Streetlife Expansion in L.A.
An extension of one of L.A.'s light rail lines opened this past weekend. Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a hopeful prediction that the extension will inspire an improvement in streetlife.
Jaywalking Not As Big A Safety Issue As Assumed
Over the past 15 years, more than 76,000 pedestrians have been killed in the U.S. Some say preventing a significant portion of these deaths is as simple as enforcing jaywalking laws. Not so, argues Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic.
Mapping the Hard to Count
Undercounting is likely one of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. Census Bureau as it prepares to run its decennial census in April. Certain parts of the country will prove problematic when it comes time to count.
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
