Poverty

Recession Changing Geography of Poverty

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that the first year of the recession has taken a harsh toll and that these impacts are being particularly felt in three key regions in the country.

October 20, 2009 - ABC

U.S. Poverty at 11-Year High

The poverty rate hit an 11-year high in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

September 12, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Leaving San Francisco

Think "Leaving Las Vegas" starring Nicholas Cage, except the 'actors' here are the real thing - 'chronic inebriates' costing the city about $13 million annually in ambulance costs alone. It's not necessarily a 'homelessness' problem.

August 24, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Exporting the Impoverished

The City of New York has been spending thousands of dollars to send people out of the city -- opting to pay for one-way plane tickets instead of providing social services.

July 30, 2009 - The New York Times

Oh, Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?

Researchers at the Pew Charitable Trust have found that the neighborhood in which a child is raised is a powerful indicator of adult economic success.

July 29, 2009 - The Washington Post

Working Families Charged Rent to Live in New York Shelters

Families who have income will now be charged a small rent to stay in public housing shelters in New York City, part of a 1997 state law that had up until now gone unenforced.

May 12, 2009 - The New York Times

Poverty and Development: Two Birds, Possibly One Stone

Some organizations believe they hold the key to fighting poverty--economic development in the inner cities, which will in turn bring in private investment. But others maintain that both are hard to come by simultaneously.

February 26, 2009 - Miller-McCune

Helping is Hurting

Protecting the poor and protecting the environment are two areas we haven’t quite figured out yet. Put them together, and we’re really up a creek. And we are, because these two silos are actually linked very closely. The relationship between poverty and environmental degradation is incredibly complex, but you wouldn’t guess it by looking at some recent policies gathering support out there in the world. Solutions, it would seem, are incredibly simple. But most of these ideas, though well-intentioned, address only one side of the poverty-environment relationship -- and really hurt the other.

January 8, 2009 - Nate Berg

How to Empower the World's Poor

The key to solving global poverty is possessing secure land and property tenure, according to this opinion piece. Having such security enables poor communities, even those here at home, to make demands from their governments.

November 29, 2008 - Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Candidates Take Stance on Urban Issues

City Limits breaks down the differences between the two presidential candidates with a focus on urban issues.

November 2, 2008 - City Limits

Redefining Poverty

New York City is changing the way poverty in the city is defined, while the Federal government is considering a bill to do the same. Planetizen Assistant Editor Nate Berg reports in The Christian Science Monitor.

August 26, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

States Need to Focus to Tackle Poverty

In an effort to tackle poverty, 15 states have set up commissions to explore the issues. Neal Peirce says they need to focus foremost on getting more money into the hands of the impoverished and reducing the burden of taxes on them.

August 23, 2008 - Citiwire

More Americans to Face Energy Poverty

The cost of home heating is expected to rise considerably this winter, but with utilities unable to obtain credit, Washington deadlocked on how to deal with it, and LIHEAP underfunded American households are in for a tough winter.

August 8, 2008 - The New York Times

Living in the Wrong Neighborhood Can Harm Your Health

A new study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows that living in poor and violent neighborhoods can significantly increase your risk of heart attack or stroke.

July 18, 2008 - The Baltimore Sun

Cairo's Downfall

Downtown Cairo has undergone a steady decline in recent years, with more slums developing and more beggars filling the streets. This article from Bloomberg says there are many reasons for the decline.

July 16, 2008 - Bloomberg

A Newer, Better Poverty Rate Formula

New York City plans to revise the way it assesses poverty levels in the city, bringing in more variables and cost-of-living considerations. Officials expect the new measurement to be more accurate, and are calling on other cities to follow suit.

July 15, 2008 - The New York Times

Protests, Riots Go Global as Fuel Costs Soar

Protests both peaceful and violent are breaking out across Europe and Asia as people's livelihoods begin to suffer from soaring fuel costs, and some stores are running out of food as truck drivers go on strike.

June 16, 2008 - This Is London

Canada's Top Crime Cities

With their high concentrations of marginalized Aboriginal residents, the Canadian prairie cities of Saskatoon, Regina and Winnipeg are ranked the top 3 most "dangerous" cities in the country in the latest Macleans Magazine survey.

March 16, 2008 - Macleans

The Regional Approach to Fighting Poverty

This article from the Albany Times Union looks at the importance of using a regional approach to addressing poverty, crime and inner city blight.

March 15, 2008 - Albany Times Union

In The Ghetto

"Slum tourism" is on the rise in developing countries around the world. Some say the tours help the affluent understand the dire situations faced by the world's poor, but others say it's just a way to help Westerners feel good about themselves.

March 11, 2008 - The New York Times

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.

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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.