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.

April 28, 2008 - Charles Buki

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.

April 27, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

'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.

April 27, 2008 - The Guardian

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.

April 26, 2008 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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.

April 26, 2008 - Streetsblog

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.

April 25, 2008 - Colbert Report

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.

April 25, 2008 - NPR

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.

April 25, 2008 - VBS

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.

April 24, 2008 - The Washington Post

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.

April 24, 2008 - The New York Times

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.

April 23, 2008 - Marketplace

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.

April 22, 2008 - The New York Times

Gray Gold: Housing The Baby Boomers

A recent working paper considers the implications of housing the nation's aging population.

April 21, 2008 - Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

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.

April 21, 2008 - BBC News

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?

April 20, 2008 - Forbes

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.

April 19, 2008 - The New York Times

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.

April 18, 2008 - Time

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.

April 17, 2008 - Utne Reader

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.

April 16, 2008 - BBC

Noise and the City

Cairo, Egypt is becoming increasingly noisy.

April 15, 2008 - The New York 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.