Social / Demographics
A Reminder to the City: Neighborhoods Are Building Blocks of Civic Life
Neighborhoods -- their habits, their participants, and their values -- are what create and define value in a city and in a home. Cities need to embrace this fact if they want to preserve values and retain residents.
A Cup of Coffee and A Calico, Please
"Cat cafes" are popping up all over Tokyo, giving patrons the company of a cat -- without the burden of actually owning one. There are at least seven cat cafes in Tokyo.
'Guerrilla Gardeners' Taking Over Neglected Public Places
Vacant lots and underutilized dirt patches are the the romping grounds of a new breed of activists. Known as "guerrilla gardeners", groups of people all over the world are reclaiming their cities' public spaces and landscapes by planting seeds.
Atlanta Survey Respondents Support Tax for Transit
A survey of residents in metro Atlanta shows that 58% of residents would support an additional 1-cent tax to fund public transit.
Critical Mass on Eight Wheels
Streetfilms looks at the livable streets movement in Paris and a twice-weekly "critical mass" over roller skaters that often brings crowds of thousands.
Controversial Homemade Robo-Cop Fights Vagrancy
he satirical news show The Colbert Report takes a look at the "BumBot"—a robot used by an Atlanta bar owner to dispel vagrants from his property. Some citizens say the robot is dehumanizing, but others call it a hero.
Is Grand Canyon Skywalk a Road to Prosperity?
This segment from NPR looks at what's happened since a Native American tribe in Arizona opened a glass-floored walkway extending over the Grand Canyon.
The Island of Garbage
This 12-part video series from Vice gives a gritty look at the Texas-sized patch of plastic flotsam that has formed in the Pacific Ocean -- and the global environmental and health hazards it presents.
Growth Slows Down in D.C. Suburbs
Census data shows that growth rates in the formerly high-growth counties surrounding Washington D.C. are beginning to drop off, and in some cases, are going in to the negative.
Party on the Streetcar
Party organizers in Prague have set up a monthly party that takes place on one of the city's streetcars as it drives through town.
Absentee Homeowners Driving Up Rents In Jerusalem
One out of five homes in central Jerusalem is owned by someone living abroad, and sit empty for most of the year. With housing prices soaring, a group of students wants to try and make use of the underused apartments.
New York City's Unwelcomed Foresters
New York's newest force of foresters, hired to plant one million trees in all five boroughs by 2017, are receiving more opposition then one might expect.
Gray Gold: Housing The Baby Boomers
A recent working paper considers the implications of housing the nation's aging population.
Redevelopment On Horizon For India's 'Recycling' Slum
Plans to redevelop Asia's largest slum will displace over 1 million people, many of whom earn their livelihood recycling Mumbai's trash.
The Coming Shift In Commuting Patterns?
With boomers set to retire, and more small and home-based business cropping up, its likely more and more people will be skipping the morning and afternoon rush hours. But how will such a change impact our traffic patterns?
Feeling Down On Main Street
In the wake of Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's recent gaffe, New York Times blogger Timothy Egan sheds some light on the reality of rural America and its role in America's future.
The New Graffiti
Using laser technology, two artists have created a new type of "temporary graffiti" -- light shows that use public places as canvasses for their laser art.
Five Unlikely Gay-Friendly Cities
New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles are usually regarded as hotbeds for homosexuals. But five unlikely cities -- in places such as Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska -- show that more gay-friendly cities are coming out of the woodwork.
Grassroots Environmental Movement Sprouts in China
Environmental activism is on the rise in China. It's not a fast rise, but its existence is seen by many as a major step.
Noise and the City
Cairo, Egypt is becoming increasingly noisy.
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
