Social / Demographics

Cleaning Up Denver With Haircuts

In an effort to help clean up the city when the Democratic National Convention comes to town, a local salon in Denver has offered free haircuts to the city's homeless.

August 21, 2008 - CBS4 Denver

Group Says Public Drinking Ban Violates Public Space

Calling it a violation of public spaces, a new report from a civil liberties group in the UK has criticized the banning of public drinking in more than 600 places in England and Wales.

August 21, 2008 - Telegraph

Urban Gardens Taking Root in Post-Industrial City

The non-profit group Nuestras Raíces in Holyoke, Mass. has found urban agriculture a powerful community glue, providing increased food security and economic opportunity to the Puerto Rican population there.

August 20, 2008 - The Atlantic

The Flood of 'Amenity Migrants'

Scenic resort towns are increasingly attracting older residents, creating a population boom that far surpasses growth rates in many cities and urban areas.

August 20, 2008 - NPR

The Meaning of 'Independence'

Jay Walljasper reflects on the historical meaning of American independence, and how today's meaning is leading people away from working towards the common good.

August 19, 2008 - On The Commons

City Tries To Curb 'Spite Landscaping'

A city in the midst of a revitalization effort has targeted landscape designs allegedly aimed at spiting the neighbors.

August 18, 2008 - Dallas Morning News

Electronic Signs May Need Different Rules

Officials in Abilene, Texas, are trying to pass an electronic sign ordinance "proactively" but are facing great resistance, as has been the case for other cities.

August 18, 2008 - Abilene Reporter-News

L.A.'s Fast Food Ban Boosts Health and Healthy Businesses

A moratorium on new fast food restaurants in Los Angeles is seen as a way to encourage better public health, but also a way to encourage healthier businesses.

August 16, 2008 - The New York Times

Best Towns in the U.S.

Outside Magazine looks at the best cities and towns for working, living and playing, with a focus on places that have experienced a renewal.

August 14, 2008 - Outside Magazine

Megapolitans Rise in the Mountains

This column from Neal Peirce looks at the new megapolitan stronghold of the Intermountain West.

August 12, 2008 - Citiwire

Muslim Count Controversial

A new census of Muslim congregations is reviving controversies over how many Muslims are in the U.S., how they are counted and why it matters.

August 11, 2008 - USA Today

Diversity from the Bottom Up: Minority Youth Are Becoming a Majority

Integrated inner-city public schools were the first to see this phenomenon more than 20 years ago -- classrooms that were predominately children of color. This was attributed to White Flight: the abandoning of the inner city by middle class Caucasians. Not only are minority youth populations the majority of the public school enrollments throughout the country, they are also now a majority of several United States cities and counties.

August 8, 2008 - The New York Times

The Mentally Disabled in Public Spaces

A psychology site reviews Mental Health and Social Space: Towards Inclusionary Geographies, a book by Hester Parr that looks at new ideas in including (or excluding) people with mental disabilities from public spaces.

August 7, 2008 - Metapsychology.com

The Mega Capital of the World

China is rapidly becoming home to more and more mega-cities, and there's little sign of it slowing down.

August 7, 2008 - The Washington Post

NIMBYism Strikes as Residents Fight Senior Housing

Citizens in Weston, Massachusetts, one of America's toniest suburbs, continue to block a local college's effort to build senior housing, raise its endowment and provide scholarships for low-income students.

August 4, 2008 - The Boston Globe

Mississippi Holds Onto Title as Fattest State in U.S.

This is Mississippi's third year in a row topping CalorieLab's United States of Obesity report. The BBC goes to Jefferson County, MS to find out why.

August 4, 2008 - BBC

If They Don't Like It, Why Build It?

Architect Robert Adam likens modern architecture to modern democracy, where decisions made on high supposedly represent the will of the people.

August 2, 2008 - Building

A Move Back into Cities Indicates Changing Middle-Class Mores

Author Alan Ehrenhalt says that conditions are ripe for the permanent return of downtown residential neighborhoods, and that a "demographic inversion" has already begun in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, DC, among other cities.

August 1, 2008 - The New Republic

Swimmers Versus Seals

A popular swimming area at the San Diego area beach of La Jolla has been overrun by seals, making swimming unsafe. Many community members want the seals out, but animal rights activists say they should be allowed to stay.

August 1, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

'Time Bank' Creates Community of Bartering

An online "time bank" has opened in Los Angeles, allowing members to barter services with each other.

August 1, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

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.