Social / Demographics

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Advocacy to Protect Borderlands Areas Lagging

Construction of a border wall would have grave social and environmental consequences, but retailers with clout are not stepping up as they have when other places have been threatened.

November 5, 2019 - High Country News

MoGo Bikeshare Bikes

Next Steps After S.F. Bay Area Adaptive Bikeshare Pilot Program

A summer program incorporated adaptive bikes into the region’s bikeshare network as a first step in making the system accessible to more riders.

November 4, 2019 - Next City

Winter neighborhood

Homeowners Staying Put for Longer Than Ever

Aging in place means fewer homes for young homebuyers, according to a new report by Redfin.

November 4, 2019 - Redfin

Louisiana

The Affluent, White Suburb With Toxic Polluters in its Midst

Ascension Parish, Louisiana, located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans along I-10, would look like a typical affluent, growing suburb, if it weren't for the toxic pollution emitted from nearby petrochemical facilities.

November 2, 2019 - The Advocate

Chile Metro

How a Subway Fare Increase Kicked Off Chile's Largest Protest

For many residents, Santiago's subway system and its fare hikes became a nexus for anger over deeper inequities across Chilean society.

November 1, 2019 - CityLab

Skid Row Los Angeles

Homelessness Fuels a Backlash in California

The Golden State's ongoing homelessness crisis has residents on edge and is testing the limits of empathy in a state known for its liberal values.

November 1, 2019 - The New York Times

Affordable Rental Housing

Distinguishing the Housing Shortage from Gentrification

Gentrification "mutates particular neighborhoods" while scarce housing "squeezes entire regions," Devin Michelle Bunten writes. Conflating the two can lead to inaccuracies in understanding.

November 1, 2019 - CityLab

Sound Audio Waves

When Noise Is a Matter of Life and Death

The world is noisier than ever, and the long-term effects of exposure are serious. Still, noise pollution isn’t considered a legitimate environmental hazard.

October 31, 2019 - The Atlantic

Trick or Treat

The Deadliest Day for Young Pedestrians

Children are three times more likely to be killed by a driver on Halloween than another day of the year. It's worse for kids between the ages of 4 and 8.

October 31, 2019 - The Washington Post

U.S. Census Bureau

For 2020 Census, Cities Face Hurdles Finding People to Count

In many cities, people are living in places that are hard to locate. But accurate census counts are crucial to ensuring cities get their fair share of political power and funding.

October 30, 2019 - The New York Times

Senior Mobility

Report: Urban Planning and Design Neglecting the Needs of Seniors

Many cities aren't planning and designing for their aging residents, despite a world full of examples to model from, according to a new report from the Milliken Institute.

October 30, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Moving Truck

The Demographics of Leaving California

The state is seeing an outmigration of residents moving to more affordable places, but it isn’t just wealthy retirees leaving the Golden State.

October 28, 2019 - Curbed

MacDougal Street

Gentrification Up Close in N.Y.C.'s West Village

A former resident of the iconic neighborhood reflects on its past, present, and future.

October 24, 2019 - The New York Review of Books

Open Streets

Engaging, Then Planning, for Equity

The interdisciplinary work of the Kounkuey Design Initiative, led by executive director Chelina Odbert, and deeply committed to the homegrown potential of neighborhoods and communities.

October 24, 2019 - James Brasuell

Cleveland

Equity Planning for the 21st Century

The 20th century roots of equity planning, born in Cleveland, are evolving to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Portland provides a case study of that evolution.

October 24, 2019 - Shareable

Los Angeles Metro Bus

How to Improve Buses, the Overlooked but Essential Part of Urban Mobility

A new book argues that buses are an integral part of successful mobility networks and that better bus systems improve cities in ways benefiting all residents.

October 23, 2019 - CityLab

Buffalo Bayou Park

The Gentrification Effect of Urban Parks

New research finds that different types of parks correlate with different gentrification effects, adding to the complexity of urban change.

October 21, 2019 - CityLab

Homeless Encampment

Massive Discrepancies Identified in Official Homeless Counts

The Los Angeles Times crunched data from the 2019 point-in-time count of homelessness in Los Angeles County. What they found diverged profoundly from official findings.

October 19, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Avondale

Neighborhood Responds as Gentrification Concerns Spread in Cincinnati

Development interest is flocking to Avondale, a mostly Black neighborhood with relatively high poverty rates in Cincinnati.

October 19, 2019 - WCPO

Squirrel

The Central Park Squirrel Census

Some people ask why anyone would want to do a census of all the squirrels in Central Park. Others ask why not?

October 18, 2019 - CityLab

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.