Social / Demographics

U.S. Census Bureau

Breaking News: Court Blocks Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

A federal judge's decision accuses U.S. Commerce Secretary of playing politics with the U.S. Census.

January 15, 2019 - AP News

Montpelier Vermont

Vermont to Pay People to Relocate

To encourage people to move to Vermont, new program will help remote workers with the costs of relocating.

January 15, 2019 - WBUR

Bloomington, Minnesota

Mall of America Gets Opportunity Zone Status

Developments around the mall are now subject to tax breaks as part of a new program meant to aid disadvantaged communities.

January 14, 2019 - StarTribune

Pedestrians

No Safe Options Mean Pedestrians Engage in Risky Behavior

Pedestrians are often blamed first for accidents, but they have few choices when the infrastructure is lacking, a new study shows.

January 10, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Pike & Rose Bethesda Maryland

Experiences Designed Into Suburban Developments

Live music, skating rinks, and artificial beaches are now part of developments that want to go beyond just simple shopping and dining.

January 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

Car Graveyard

More 'Car-Rich' Households Mean More Car Ownership

More people are buying cars, even while more people are choosing to go without cars.

January 9, 2019 - CityLab

Campaign Rally

Sources: Trump Administration Considering an Attack on Disparate Impact

The Supreme Court upheld the disparate impact doctrine at the heart of fair housing rules, along with many other anti-discrimination policies, in 2015. Still, the Trump administration is looking for ways to undermine disparate impact.

January 9, 2019 - The Washington Post

U.S. Census Bureau

Census Bureau Finally Has a New Director

The U.S. Census Bureau had been without an approved director since May 2017. The Senate unanimously approved Steven Dillingham to the position with about a year to spare before the 2020 Census begins.

January 8, 2019 - NPR

Tax

Fighting Climate Change With an Income Tax

There's been a lot of talk about the Green New Deal, but not that much is known about it. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is promoting it, explained the program on 60 Minutes on January 6.

January 7, 2019 - Politico

Columbus Ohio

Columbus Program Will Help Pregnant Women With Transportation

The program aims to address infant mortality by improving transportation access so women can more easily get prenatal care and other services.

January 6, 2019 - CityLab

Miami Flooding

Climate Gentrification in Miami

With the threat of sea level rise, homes on higher ground in Miami are becoming increasingly desirable. But they are located in low-income communities of color, and residents are facing rising housing costs and displacement.

January 6, 2019 - Slate

Cattle Farmers

Meeting the Challenge of Feeding 10 Billion People Sustainably in 2050

With world population to grow by about 2 billion by 2050, and with more people eating higher on the food chain as nations develop economically, can world agriculture reduce its carbon footprint? A new World Resources Institute report shows how.

January 5, 2019 - Forbes

Newark

Affordable Housing Cap-and-Trade Idea Resurfaces

In New Jersey, a cap-and-trade system existed for two decades and appeared to just perpetuate housing and social inequities. But now legislators and researchers are considering it again.

January 4, 2019 - CityLab

Orca in Washington

Washington State Budget Makes Puget Sound Orcas a Priority

Southern Resident orca numbers are distressingly low. The proposed budget would fund a number of measures to help the whales.

January 4, 2019 - Crosscut

Macron Protest

Learning the Wrong Lessons From France's Yellow Vest Movement

The widespread Yellow Vests protests, which initially involved hundreds of thousands of protestors in November, are wrongly being interpreted as a movement against carbon taxes and climate action, rather than a revolt against social inequities.

January 3, 2019 - World Resources Institute

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco-ization, a City's Biggest Nightmare

Cities spend a lot of time and energy pointing to examples of what they don’t want to become.

January 2, 2019 - The New York Times

Black Americans

Chicago’s Black Population Could Drop by Half by 2030

1.2 million African Americans lived in Chicago in the 1980s. Now Cook County loses tens of thousands of African Americans every year.

January 1, 2019 - Chicago Reporter

Washington

Displacement Controversy Arrives in SeaTac

Controversy surrounds a development deal in the city of SeaTac, after the city made a $15.5 million development deal that could displace a local business community powered by immigrants from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

January 1, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Hotel California

California Population Growth Continues to Slow

The latest demographic data released Friday by the state's demographic unit shows shows an increase of 0.54 percent, one of the lowest on record, as birth rates drop, death rates increase, and more people leave the state than arrive from others.

December 28, 2018 - California Department of Finance

The Mission

Critiquing the Notion of Neighborhood Character

Zócalo Public Square Editor Joe Mathews takes aim at the phrase, “We want to protect the character of the community," calling it a lousy argument in normal times and verging on "treasonous" due to climate change and California's housing crisis.

December 27, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.