Social / Demographics

A 'Tsunami' of Homeless Veterans?

A new documentary portrays a grim new reality: veterans make up 25% of the homeless population in America -- a percentage which is expected to rise.

November 13, 2007 - AlterNet

High-Rise Proposals Spur Outrage In Paris

Officials in Paris plan to unveil sketches of high-rise developments proposed for the outer rings of the city -- a development type nearly two-thirds of Parisians oppose. Many argue that the aesthetic focus shortchanges social concerns in the city.

November 13, 2007 - The Guardian

Demographics Shift From Sydney To Melbourne

Rising home prices and cost of living are steering more Australians away from Sydney and towards Melbourne, creating a boom in population that has put the city on track to become the country's biggest city.

November 12, 2007 - Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Combatting 'Food Deserts'

Chicago struggles to overcome its battle with "food deserts" -- areas in the city with little or now access to groceries.

November 11, 2007 - Chicago Sun-Times

America's Most Caffeinated Cities

Is your city addicted to caffeine? Need Coffee Dot Com shares a study commissioned by HealthSaver to determine the most and least wired of America's cities. And no, it's not Seattle.

November 11, 2007 - Need Coffee Dot Com

Friday Funny: Disney's 'Urban Adventure'

As the Disney Corporation and the city of Anaheim, California, squabble over a proposal to build affordable housing near the Happiest Place on Earth, Morris Newman suggests turning the affordable housing project into an "urban theme park".

November 9, 2007 - California Planning & Development Report

Pedestrians Fight For Rights In Greece

Cars and scooters rules the roads -- and often the sidewalks -- in Greece, making things difficult for the country's pedestrians. A new activist movement is looking to bring illegal parking and pedestrian-right-of-way violations to light.

November 9, 2007 - International Herald Tribune

UK Healthy Towns: A Step Too Far?

The government in the UK has announced plans to create "healthy towns" that encourage exercise through urban design. Is this idea going too far to control peoples' activity?

November 7, 2007 - Spiked

Race-Related Sprawl

In this interview, civil rights leader and environmentalist Van Jones talks about the interconnections between urban sprawl, racism and the "prison-industrial complex".

November 7, 2007 - AlterNet

Shhh, Don't Share This News About Portland

After a New York Times real estate article points out that on top of being one of America's most livable cities it is also one of its most affordable, there could be mass migration to Portland.

November 7, 2007 - The New York Times

Rules On Immigrants Pushing People Out Of Quebec

Tight restrictions and codes relating to immigrants their assimilation in Quebec are being blamed for causing a mass exodus from the Canadian province.

November 3, 2007 - CBC

The Media Loves Portland -- But Why?

Everybody loves Portland, but this article from Willamette Week deconstructs the media crush on the city from inside its borders.

November 2, 2007 - Willamette Week

What L.A. Can Learn About Homelessness From Other U.S. Cities

Strategies used by cities such as Miami, Philadelphia, New York, St. Louis, Seattle, & Denver for reducing homelessness are working.

October 31, 2007 - The Los Angeles Times

Halloween Street Festival Cancelled In San Francisco's Castro District

After a rash of violence at its annual Castro district Halloween festival in recent years, San Francisco has put the kibosh on this year's festivities. City officials are hoping word of the party's cancellation has been heard.

October 31, 2007 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Residents In Disaster-Prone Areas Say Risk Is Worth It

Southern California's wildfires have emphasized the fact that many people choose to live in disaster-prone areas all across the country. Many of them say the benefits outweigh the inherent risk.

October 30, 2007 - U.S. News & World Report

Border Towns Share More Than Boundary

The border towns of El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico, are increasingly becoming more and more alike -- from demographics, to land development types, to housing prices.

October 30, 2007 - The New York Times

Saloon City

Belo Horizonte is by no means a well-known city from the South American country of Brazil. But with more than 12,000 bars, the city is gaining notoriety as one of the world's best places to drink.

October 29, 2007 - The New York Times

The Most Sedentary Cities In America

Americans across the country suffer from unhealthy diets and too little exercise, but these cities' residents are the worst offenders.

October 29, 2007 - Forbes

Downtown Toronto Booms

With a flood of new condos, booming downtown Toronto is the fastest-growing area in the city.

October 28, 2007 - The Toronto Star

A Nation Of NIMBYs?

Recent polls show that anti-development sentiment is stronger than ever, with 75 percent of Americans opposing new development in their communities.

October 26, 2007 - CNN/Money

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.