Social / Demographics

Pandemic Geography: Missouri Outbreak Driven by Delta Variant
With 65.4% of the nation's adult population at least partially vaccinated, daily new COVID cases have dropped to the lowest level since late March 2020. However, cases are increasing in some states, none more than Missouri.

White House Marks Juneteenth by Pushing for Zoning Reforms
On a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, the White House marked the occasion by discussion exclusionary zoning.

Mapping Environmental Justice Hotspots
A new map of Virginia illustrates the stark contrasts in pollution burdens depending on location.

The Consequences of Urban Population Decline for American Cities
Big cities saw the sharpest population declines during the pandemic. Is the trend here to stay?

Leveraging Church Properties to Build Affordable Housing
As owners of valuable urban real estate, some churches are taking up the mandate to serve their community by using their vacant properties to provide housing for people being priced out of their homes.

Manhattan Residents Cling to Public Space Amid NYPD Crackdowns
The city's police has begun issuing citations and implementing curfews in public parks that became oases of social activity during the pandemic.

Coronavirus Legislation: Vaccine Choice or Anti-Vax?
If vaccines provide the means out of the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy and opposition threaten to prolong it. Battles over public health are being fought in courtrooms and statehouses like in Ohio, where a 'vaccine choice' bill is being considered.

White House Reinstates Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule
The Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule is back, but with one critical change that seems to respond to complaints used by Trump administration officials to rescind the rule in 2020.

Legalizing Street Vending: Lessons from Los Angeles
With new regulations poised to add 400 new vendors to New York City's streets every year for the next decade, city leaders can look to L.A.'s recent legalization efforts for guidance.

NYC Transit Ridership Patterns Have Shifted to the Outer Boroughs
Signs of the times, and more evidence of the essential service provided by public transit throughout the pandemic.

Coronavirus Litigation: Can Employers Require Employee Vaccinations?
The plaintiffs in one of the nation's first court cases over employer-required COVID vaccinations are among the heroes of the pandemic—nurses fighting to remain unvaccinated. Houston Methodist Hospital suspended unvaccinated employees on June 6.

Opinion: Transit Needs to Be Better, Not Cheaper
With many U.S. transit agencies facing severe gaps in service and budget shortfalls, some advocates argue that improved service matters more than free fares.

How Legacy Cities Can Support Equitable Development
A new report outlines seven strategies for balancing economic development and equity specifically aimed at smaller, post-industrial cities.

California Workplaces to Return to Normal? Not Unless Everyone is Vaccinated
Most coronavirus restrictions are set to end on June 15 in California. The statewide mask mandate will align with CDC guidance, but workplaces will follow the new Cal/OSHA mask mandate: Unless everyone is vaccinated indoors, everyone masks.

Can L.A. Metro Fund its Fareless Transit Pilot?
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved a program that would eliminate fares for students and low-income riders, but the program's future rests on finding sustainable funding sources.

2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities
The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.

For Transportation Justice, Auto Safety Must Protect People Outside the Car
Light trucks are killing more pedestrians than ever while keeping their drivers and passengers safer. Is it time to reframe safety regulations?

The Tulsa Race Massacre: A Century Later
On the hundred-year anniversary of the violence that destroyed Tulsa's "Black Wall Street," the country is finally reckoning with the legacy of one of the most destructive racially motivated riots in U.S. history.

Learning About the City by Running for Office
When you are trying to get people's attention, a city feels very different.

Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants Announced for 5 U.S. Cities
A federal grant program designed to support holistic and socially-focused planning projects at the neighborhood level has announced the winners of its most recent round of competitive grant funding.
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