Social / Demographics

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

More 'Car-Rich' Households Mean More Car Ownership
More people are buying cars, even while more people are choosing to go without cars.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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