Urbanization

Toronto GO Transit

Emerging Trends Report: Urbanization is the 'New Normal'

The Toronto Star picks up on the Urban Land Institute's Emerging Trends in Real Estate report, finding the trend of urbanization in Canada to reflect the trend in the United States.

November 27, 2014 - The Toronto Star

Shenzhen Crumbling Buildings

China Filling 'Ghost City' with Rural Farmers

In a bid to urbanize its vast interior, China plans to settle one of its vast pre-built cities with workers unused to city life. Upon arrival, they undergo training to become instant urbanites.

November 13, 2014 - The Guardian

Researchers Pushing for Even Bigger Chinese Cities

Research suggests China’s current urbanization policy forgoes $2 trillion in growth over the next ten years. That is, unless the government funnels even more migrants into major population centers and develops for density.

October 24, 2014 - Bloomberg News

Shanghai Shopping

Study: Urbanization Not a Silver Bullet for Economic Growth

A study comparing urbanization and per capita GDP between 1980 and 2011 questions common assumptions about the connections between economic growth and cities.

October 23, 2014 - PLOS ONE

Latest American Community Survey: Continued Growth for (Some) Cities

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Census 2013 American Community Survey (ACS), Americans continue to move into cities en masse over suburbs, but certain cities are attracting larger crowds than others.

October 10, 2014 - USA Today

San Francisco View from Dolores Park

Report: Cities Segregating by Employment Type—Not Just Income Level

New analysis from Richard Florida and the Martin Prosperity Institute maps segregation by employment type, finding the darker effects of the creative class.

September 29, 2014 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Seattle & Mt. Rainier

Growth Battles Heating up in Seattle

The growth of Seattle growth is inflaming passions on either side of the issue—some claim that the city wants everyone to "live in cubicles"; others say the city isn't doing enough to prepare for 120,000 expected new residents.

September 12, 2014 - Seattle Weekly

Crowd

What a Megacity with 107 Million People Looks Like—via SimCity

Writing for Motherboard, Derek Mead details what it took for a particularly ambitious SimCity player to build a city of 100 million people.

September 2, 2014 - Motherboard

Atlanta Sprawl

Sprawl and the 'Death of the American South'

A post by Sustainatlanta reacts to the recent study that predicted massive, sprawling growth in the South in the next 50 years. The post's concern is that sprawl will "eviscerate' the Southern lifestyle.

August 24, 2014 - sustainatlanta

Atlanta Sprawl

Modeling the Explosive Growth of the Southern Megalopolis

A new study, "The Southern Megalopolis: Using the Past to Predict the Future of Urban Sprawl in the Southeast U.S." predicts urban sprawl and warns of its possible consequences over the next 50 years.

July 28, 2014 - CityLab

Can Kentucky Compete in an Urbanizing, Global Economy?

Braden Lammers provides a dispatch from the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Business Summit and Annual Meeting, sharing the testimony of one business leader on the state's work force challenges.

July 25, 2014 - Louisville Business First

Worldwide Urbanization Reflected by Growth of Mega-Cities

A new report by the United Nations projects the growth of the world's urban population, which is expected to surpass six billion by 2045.

July 21, 2014 - Quartz

Chinese-Style Urbanism—Now Exporting to Africa

In what's described as a transformational trend, a new article claims that more and more Chinese-made buildings, infrastructure, and urban districts are under construction in Africa.

July 9, 2014 - Metropolis

Are Hyper-Urbanizing Countries Experiencing Lower Vaccination Levels?

Urbanization may turn conventional thinking about vaccinations on its head, at least in India.

June 17, 2014 - The Times Of India

Boston innovation district banner with lofts

Urban America's 'Reconnaissance Mission for Progressive Politics'

Recent commenters have described cities as the locus for a new type of liberalism that benefits a broader swath of demographics. Dissenters wonder whether certain progressive cities, enabled by privilege, are merely drivers of inequality.

May 9, 2014 - New York Times

Caught Between Rural and Urban: the Migrant Workers Urbanizing China

China's rapid urbanization has been built by a class of citizens called "nongmin," or peasants, many of which have migrated to urban areas for work but retain their legal status as residents of the countryside.

May 3, 2014 - China File

Young and all people stroll at a community event in New York City.

APA Poll Finds Millennials and Boomers 'Investing in Place'

During the American Planning Association's (APA) 2014 National Planning Conference in Atlanta, the APA announced findings from a national opinion survey that shows a clear interest in place-making among the concerns of Americans of all ages.

May 1, 2014 - American Planning Association

New Seattle Bus Funding Initiative Addresses City-Suburb Split

It's a pattern seen as recently as two years ago in metro Atlanta: a crucial transit measure wins in the central city but dies in the more populous suburbs. The fix is to craft a city-only transit initiative—just what advocates in Seattle will do.

April 28, 2014 - KUOW

Strip Mall

Is it a Suburban Exodus Yet?

A new report finds that suburban areas are losing residents to urban areas like New York City and Washington D.C., even well past the point when people would have traditionally made the choice to return to the suburbs.

April 18, 2014 - New York Times

Examining the United States’ Urban/Rural Dichotomy

Governing presents a special series examining the “Rural/Urban Divide” in the United States.

March 31, 2014 - Governing

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.