Social / Demographics

Designing The Female-Friendly City

As women become a larger segment of the nation's urban population, more planners are recognizing the importance of addressing the concerns of women through urban design.

December 28, 2007 - USA Today

Louisiana Rebounds, But Nevada Grows Fastest

More than 50,000 people were added to the population of Louisiana in 2007, where growth has been gradual since more than 250,000 fled after Hurricane Katrina. Nevada has regained its long-held title as the nation's fastest growing state.

December 28, 2007 - The Washington Post

California Growth Slows As Out-Migration Continues

Far more residents left the Golden State than arrived from other states, but births and foreign in-migration kept the state growing to 37,771,431 residents, with 3/4 of total population increase resulting from births alone.

December 26, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Will Retiring Baby Boomers Revive The Cohousing Movement?

Cohousing could be the answer for seniors looking for a strong sense of community and support from neighbors as they age.

December 26, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Saving Lives With Urban Planning

With auto accidents the leading cause of death for teenagers, there's yet another reason to build communities that don't make us dependent on our cars.

December 25, 2007 - Fort Worth Star Telegram

Toy Libraries Critical To Childhood Development

Libraries for toys are popping up in developing countries all over the world, and especially in Africa, giving poor children a glimpse of a less troubled childhood. Many say the simple libraries are making big changes in the children's development.

December 21, 2007 - The Christian Science Monitor

Fair Housing, But For Whom?

The Fair Housing Act was passed by Congress in 1968, but some minorities still struggle to obtain mortgages and home loans. This article from The Next American City asks why.

December 21, 2007 - The Next American City

Housing The Most Vulnerable

Homeless advocates are working in Los Angeles to identify the city's most vulnerable homeless people on Skid Row. With this list the county intends to take a piecemeal approach to housing the city's homeless.

December 20, 2007 - NPR

More Fast Food Options Make Residents Fatter

The higher the concentration of fast food restaurants in a city, the fatter its residents, according to a recent study from the University of Alberta.

December 20, 2007 - The Vancouver Sun

City Noise Posing Health Threat

Ho Chi Minh City is one of the loudest cities in the world. It's excessive noise is being targeted by the World Health Organization as a serious threat to physical and mental health.

December 20, 2007 - Thahn Nien

Experts Weigh In On Urbanization

The Freakonomics blog at The New York Times recently put together a panel of experts and asked them to outline the implications of our increasingly urban world.

December 17, 2007 - The New York Times

Land of the Living, Dead

Vice Magazine presents this photo essay on a cemetery in Manila that is heavily populated with both the living and the dead. More than 10,000 families make this graveyard their home.

December 17, 2007 - Vice Magazine

Workplace Childcare Edges Into Canada

Integrating childcare facilities with the workplace is experiencing a slow but steady start in Canada, where some activists are trying to convince employers of the real economic benefits of bringing the kids to work.

December 16, 2007 - Georgia Straight

Energizing Canada's Urban 'Magnets'

A new report ranking Canada's cities in terms of their ability to attract skilled workers finds that looming demographic challenges and infrastructure deficits will require urgent attention from higher levels of government.

December 13, 2007 - The Globe & Mail

Social Steps Toward Environmental Sustainability

Toronto's poet laureate argues that environmental sustainability cannot be achieved until people become better neighbors and create better communities.

December 13, 2007 - Spacing

The Marseille Model

As racial tensions erupt across France, the diverse city of Marseille has remained calm. Many look to it as a model for the future of an increasingly ethnically-mixed France and Europe.

December 12, 2007 - Smithsonian Magazine

The New Suburban Ghetto

High foreclosure rates are turning Charlotte's new starter home suburbs into bastions of crime and decay.

December 12, 2007 - The Charlotte Observer

Bangalore Techies Advocate For Bicycling Amenities

As the city traffic grinds to a crawl due to the rising amount of vehicles on the road, techies in Bangalore have taken a liking to commuting on bicycles.

December 12, 2007 - BBC

Is This Liquor Store An Amenity Or A Nuisance?

In a gentrifying neighborhood in Washington D.C., residents are campaigning against a local liquor store they say encourages littering and public drunkenness. But longtime neighborhood residents defend the store, calling it a neighborhood staple.

December 11, 2007 - The Washington Post

'Complete Streets' Movement Gaining Momentum

The new slogan for bicyclists and pedestrians across America is gaining attention, as well as weight, from a number of municipalities.

December 9, 2007 - New Urban News

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.