Social / Demographics

A Reading List on Exclusion and Racism in the Legal History in the United States
The legal history of the United States is full of laws designed to exclude and segregate the racialized other. This reading list recommends scholarship that sheds light on that history.

Shared Mobility for Those Who Need a Little Extra Help
A new service in St. Paul and Minneapolis will assist riders at both ends of their rides.

MBTA Will Move to Proof-of-Payment System
A new plan will phase out cash fare payments on buses and trolleys, but many of the details are still up in the air.

Gas Prices and Vehicle Miles Traveled Analyzed Since 2000
Urban economist Joe Cortright examines the connection between gas prices and driving in the U.S. over the last two decades. Prices matter: increased gas prices results in decreased driving, providing the prices persist for the long-term.

Pedestrian Deaths Last Year Projected to Be Highest Since 1990
Among the factors that stand out in the "Spotlight on Highway Safety" report released Thursday by the Governors Highway Safety Association is increased "death by SUV," which kill at a higher rate than cars. Distraction, however, is hard to prove.

Mapped: Chicago's Shrinking Middle Class
In 1970, half of the city's census tracts were middle-income. Now, only 16 percent of them remain so. Polarization between the well-off and the poor essentially splits the city in two.

Dog Parks and Gentrification
When is a dog park more than just a park for dogs?

Op-Ed: Congestion Pricing Offers New York a 'Promising Path Forwards'
New York State Budget Director Robert Mujica penned a Sunday op-ed for the Daily News on the benefits of congestion pricing. On Tuesday, Gov. Cuomo broke the news on WNYC that he and Mayor de Blasio agreed on tolling the central business district.

Expansion Planned for Low-Income Bus Pass Program in Seattle
The ORCA Opportunity program will provide free bus passes to some of the city’s low-income residents.

Everywhere, Signs of Demise for the Planning Status Quo
The plans, they are a-changin.

With Growing Number of Affluent Renters, Denver Matches National Trend
The housing crunch and changing lifestyle choices mean more people who could be in the market to buy a home are renting instead.

When Analyzing Suburbs, Definitions Matter
The definitions of suburban chosen by researchers tend to fall into three categories—and each has a significant impact and the results of academic inquiry.

Housing Discrimination Still a Vast Problem, Survey Finds
In a survey conducted last October, Zillow found that 27 percent of respondents believe they've experienced housing discrimination. National Fair Housing Alliance president Lisa Rice discusses why that is.

Philadelphia Sees Record Housing Production
An influx of millennials is driving population and housing growth in the Center City neighborhood.

Steady Loss of San Francisco Bay Area Affordable Housing
Skyrocketing rental costs are hitting low-income residents even harder as available subsidized housing continues to disappear.

What President Trump's Border Wall Can't Stop
William H. Frey, a demographer with Brookings, argues that racial diversity is a good thing for the country by many measures. Trump's wall would make it harder to benefit from demographic changes, but changes is still coming.

Gentrification in Post-Katrina New Orleans
An analysis of New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina shows that the neighborhoods most damaged were also the most likely to gentrify.

Gender, Climate Change, and Transit Decision Makers
A member of Ottawa’s city council says transit commissioners should support women’s rights and believe that climate change is real.

Development, Population Growth Reshaping Downtown Minneapolis
Thousands of news residents and apartment units, along with almost a billion dollars of development investments, arrived in Downtown Minneapolis in 2017.

Who Has Access to NYC Subways?
For many people with mobility challenges, just getting to an accessible subway station in New York is an impossibility.
Pagination
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service