Social / Demographics

Compulsory Vaccination in the Birthplace of Democracy
Unlike the Biden administration's COVID-19 vaccination strategy that has largely been paused by federal judges, compulsory vaccinations have been approved by Greece's highest court. Mandates are passed by Parliament rather than by executive order.

Opinion: Northwest Arkansas Could Be the 'Next Austin'
The home of Walmart and the University of Arkansas could be poised to see growth as cities like Austin and Boise become less affordable.

Equity and Transit Go Hand in Hand for the Pandemic Recovery
Equity illuminates the light at the end of the tunnel for U.S. transit agencies, according to a recent report by the Urban Institute.

Houston Could End Homelessness With Less Than 2,000 Housing Units
Houston's homeless response program has yielded strong results in the last few years. Just 1,900 new affordable housing units could 'effectively end' homelessness in the city.

Upzoning Plan Faces Opposition in Prince George's County
A rezoning plan in Prince George's County, Maryland is receiving strong criticism from residents who worry redevelopment without tenant protections will lead to displacement.

Another Biden COVID Vaccine Mandate on Hold
Last month, a court stayed Biden's large private employer mandate that requires workers to be vaccinated or test-and-mask. On Tuesday, a federal district court judge stayed the vaccine mandate that applies nationwide to most health care workers.

Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative
Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.

Omicron Variant: No Good Science Goes Unpunished
The discovery by South African scientists will enable the world to prepare for the newest coronavirus variant, but it will also cause enormous hardship due to the travel restrictions on flights to/from eight nations in southern Africa.

Urban Development in African Cities
Rising populations and political challenges complicate the future development of Africa's major metropolitan centers.

How Urban Design Affects Children's Cognitive Development
A European study suggests that good urban design can affect cognitive and motor function development in young children.

Atlanta’s Night Mayor Will Govern More Than Parties
Atlanta is planning to focus on night-shift workers, part of a growing consciousness around night mayors’ responsibility to everyone who shares the night, whether that’s workers, people who are homeless or leisure seekers.

L.A. Shifts Homeless Policy to Clear Street Encampments
Advocates say L.A.'s new focus on clearing 'unsightly' homeless encampments is a political band-aid that won't help people find permanent housing.

Austria to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccination
Life for the unvaccinated in many European countries is becoming more difficult as infections surge. Austria will take the ultimate step in February and require residents to become inoculated unless medically exempt. A lockdown begins Monday.

The Blue State Problem
The New York Times and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver have a message for progressives living in liberal cities in Blue States: you're part of the problem.

CDC: Time to Rethink Herd Immunity
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be changing its thinking about how herd immunity fits in with the goal of controlling the coronavirus. At the same time, the waning immunity of vaccinated Americans has taken on more urgency.

The U.S. Has a New Center: Hartville, Missouri
The center cannot hold.

Debunking the Myth of the Declining White Population
Media claimed that Census data showed a sharp decline in America's white population, but the widely publicized figure reflects a misunderstanding of new data collection techniques.

Assessing and Reversing Environmental Injustice in New York City
New York City launched its first ever environmental justice study just before the Covid-19 pandemic turned the world upside down. The study took on a new urgency throughout the months and years that followed.

The Rise of Pickleball
The growing popularity of pickleball has resulted in the creation of more courts at parks as well as conflicts with tennis players.

COVID: Colorado Activates Partial Crisis Standards of Care
In a sign that the pandemic is far from over, Colorado reactivated its crisis standards of care for staffing of health care systems on Nov. 9 as infections increased modestly nationwide. Gov. Polis made all vaccinated adults eligible for a booster.
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