Social / Demographics

Coronavirus and Lime

Coronavirus Declared a Pandemic. What Does That Mean?

The director-general of the World Health Organization announced on Wednesday that the COVID-19 viral disease that has killed more than 4,000 people, infected nearly 120,00 people and is present in 114 nations is a pandemic.

March 12, 2020 - The Guardian

Los Angeles

Reforming Local Development Regulations for Sustainable Megaregions

Managing development at the scale of megaregions is possible. An excerpt from the recently published book, "Designing for the Megaregion: Meeting Urban Challenges at a New Scale," written by Jonathan Barnett, explains how.

March 12, 2020 - Jonathan Barnett

City Planners

Study Reveals Gender Dynamics of Professional Planning Practice

A new study published by the Journal of the American Planning Association details the gender dynamics of planning offices around the country, finding challenges with exclusive communication (i.e., shutting women out from workplace communication).

March 12, 2020 - Journal Of The American Planning Association

A Nation of 60 Million on Lockdown

Should the United States be watching Italy for lessons on how to contain and mitigate the coronavirus?

March 11, 2020 - CNN

U.S. Census Bureau

The Census Faces its Toughest Challenge Yet: Coronavirus

Census 2020 faced funding challenges, leadership changes, and unprecedented politics on its way to a big launch this week. Now the coronavirus is sending people into social isolation, making the process of an accurate count very difficult.

March 11, 2020 - James Brasuell

Seoul South Korea

The Basement Apartments of Seoul’s Urban Poor

The lives of Seoul's poorest residents in squalid below-ground housing are brought out of the shadows in the film "Parasite."

March 11, 2020 - The New York Times

Minneapolis Minnesota

Minneapolis Riverfront Project Raises Issues of Equity

The Upper Harbor Terminal project is set to transform an area north of downtown, but residents are concerned about the long-term impacts and outcomes.

March 10, 2020 - Minnesota Public Radio

BART Train

Competing Funding Strategies Promoted for Bay Area Transit Mega-Measure

Two Bay Area transportation sales tax measures affecting three Bay Area counties performed poorly on Super Tuesday, but it hasn't deterred the groups backing a nine-county mega-measure. Progressive groups are proposing non-sales tax alternatives.

March 9, 2020 - The Mercury News

Mansion

In U.S., Income Growth Dispersing to More Places

The country’s economic pie is sliced up differently now as growth in metropolitan areas involves either income or population increases—but not both.

March 9, 2020 - The New York Times

kent, Washington

Dispute Over Siting of Coronavirus Quarantine Facility in Washington State

The Seattle area is ground zero for the coronavirus in the U.S., where 10 of the 11 deaths as of March 5 have occurred. King County's decision to purchase a motel in Kent for use as a quarantine facility is being met with protests by city officials.

March 8, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Epdemiology

NIMBY Politics Sway the Fight to Contain Coronavirus

A week after the Orange County city of Costa Mesa filed a restraining order against the federal government and the state of California over the use of a state-owned facility as an isolation site for coronavirus patients, the feds dropped the plan.

March 4, 2020 - Daily Pilot (Los Angeles Times)

The Windy City

No Slowdown of Out-Migration of Black Residents from Chicago

The city of Chicago continues to see a decline in population, including tens of thousands of African-Americans who have left in recent years.

March 4, 2020 - The New York Times

Tropic, Utah

Utah Officials Want to Replace the State Gas Tax

The state auditor and the transportation chief argue that the gas tax is an unsustainable funding source caused by a projected increase in electric vehicle adoption and an increase in fuel efficiency of gas-powered vehicles.

March 3, 2020 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Arch Rock Beach

Déjà Vu: Republican Legislators Flee From Capitol to Stall Climate Bill

Republican state lawmakers repeated a tactic they successfully deployed last summer to prevent the passage of a bill that would have made Oregon the second state, after California, to place a price on carbon emissions from most economic sectors.

March 2, 2020 - The Washington Post

Kids Biking

LeBron James Wants Kids to Bike

The NBA star says bikes have played an important role in his life, and he wants young people to have the same access and freedom that biking gave him.

March 2, 2020 - Outside

Youngstown, Ohio

How Shrinking Cities Are 'Right Sizing'

Case studies in dealing with population loss from Ohio, Maryland, and Massachusetts.

March 2, 2020 - The Guardian

Swinomish Channel Washington

Indigenous Peoples Lead Fight Against Climate Change

Tribal communities are preparing for climate impacts by drawing on their deep understanding of the relationship between humans and the natural environment.

March 1, 2020 - Yale Environment 360

Texas Sprawl

San Antonio's Housing Equity Crisis Traced to Planning Roots

Lending and planning policies have split San Antonio residents into haves and haves for decades, according to a large feature published recently by the Rivard Report.

February 27, 2020 - Rivard Report

LA Ciclavia

What Determines the Public Health Outcomes of Cities?

There's no one no defining attribute that determines whether a city is healthy or not, as a growing and evolving body of research shows.

February 27, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

U.S. Census Bureau

Survey Reveals Key Knowledge Gaps Regarding 2020 Census

Most Americans are aware that the 2020 Census is underway, but many still lack information about key details of the big, national headcount.

February 25, 2020 - Pew Research Center

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.