Social / Demographics
Crime, Rising Costs Draw Concerns for World Cup Host
With the first game of the 2010 World Cup exactly two years away, many in host country South Africa are concerned about rising inflation, increased violence, and skyrocketing costs of stadium construction.
Services Lacking in the Servants' Slums
Upwardly-mobile city dwellers in India are heavily reliant on the neighboring slums that house their servants. But many public services are lacking beyond the walls of the affluent developments.
Killing Culs-de-Sac and Growing Smarter for Seniors
The senior population of Erie County, New York, is rising. A 2006 storm revealed difficulties in providing medical services to these seniors because of the sprawled out and cul-de-sac heavy development model. A bill seeks to make that model smarter.
Using Cellphone GPS, Researchers Prove We're Homebodies
GPS from cellphones is enabling exciting research into human behavior, but European studies show that our behavior is rarely exciting.
Smoggy City Stifles Sense of Smell
Air pollution is so bad in Mexico City that residents have less sensitivity to smells, according to a recent study.
Fast Company Picks 'Fast Cities 2008'
Fast Company highlights Chicago and London, their picks for U.S. and Global Cities of the Year, respectively. Whatever you think of the way such lists come together, these are interesting profiles of two vibrant municipalities.
Diversity Spreads From Cities to Suburbs
The suburbs are becoming the inner-city, according to recent studies that are showing a shift in suburban demographics from predominantly white to incredibly diverse.
Providing Public Services a Challenge for Karachi's Mayor
Tackling urban infrastructure problems in Karachi, Pakistan, is an uphill battle for Mayor Syed Mustafa Kamal. With few services, continuing violence and a rising population, he has his work more than cut out for him.
Kiplinger's Rates Top 10 Cities to Live, Work and Play
Houston tops the list, which includes Des Moines, Boise and Omaha. Yeah, we want to see their criteria too...
Brownfield Becomes Urban Farm in Philly
"Honey from the Hood" is one of the home-grown prodcuts from a Kensington neighborhood garden. To avoid soil contamination from this former industrial site, plants are grown in raised beds or hydroponically.
Homelessness Continues to Plague New Orleans
By some counts, the number of homeless people in New Orleans has more than doubled since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. Aid workers are hoping a bill in Congress will bring extra aid to the struggling city.
Generations of Planning Commissioners
Planning and zoning commissions need to be diverse to make sure the broad range of issues and concerns are considered. That requires commissioners who are from different parts of town, different walks of life, different ethnic backgrounds, and now, different age groups.
Mapping Needed to Improve Slums
Understanding and improving the Brazilian informal settlements known as favelas will require more information about the slums -- especially in the field of mapping.
Eminent Domain Through A Lense
A provocative new exhibition at the New York Public Library challenges new bans on taking pictures in public space, and proposes the idea that photography is in some ways an exercise of eminent domain.
'They Want to Make a Dam, and Now They Know They Shouldn't'
A group of Indians from the Amazon attacked a government engineer at a recent meeting where he was discussing a proposed hydroelectric dam on the Xingu River that could displace 15,000 indigenous people and destroy traditional fishing grounds.
Pro-Environment Urbanites Go Rural For Real
For years, hipsters have sported trucker hats and rootsy fashion with a back-to-the-earth vibe. Now, some young professionals are heading back to the farm for real -- and taking their organic, pro-environment values with them.
Parking Lot Hotels Serve Homeless
An outreach counseling group in Santa Barbara, California, has worked with the city to set up 12 parking lots where people can sleep in their cars at night -- an act that is illegal on city streets.
The Sprawling Megapolitan Region of Utah
Sprawl is consuming small towns in Utah, and creating one of the largest megapolitan regions in the U.S.
Capitalism Sprawls Into Russia's Frozen Expanse
American-style malls are cropping up in Siberia, and gobbling up land, to enable once-isolated Russians to consume in ways that might have been unimaginable a generation ago.
The New Milwaukeeans: Making Sense of Population Growth In The Cream City
After forty years in the statistical doldrums, what does Milwaukee make of a sudden, slight increase in population? Local expert and urban enthusiast Dave Steele reports.
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
