Live Breaking News & Updates on Social demographics

Stay informed with the latest breaking news from Social demographics on our comprehensive webpage. Get up-to-the-minute updates on local events, politics, business, entertainment, and more. Our dedicated team of journalists delivers timely and reliable news, ensuring you're always in the know. Discover firsthand accounts, expert analysis, and exclusive interviews, all in one convenient destination. Don't miss a beat — visit our webpage for real-time breaking news in Social demographics and stay connected to the pulse of your community

'By the Numbers': California Shows How to Reopen Safely

'By the Numbers': California Shows How to Reopen Safely
Unlike other states that lifted restrictions statewide after coronavirus cases plummeted, California replaced its regional stay-home order with a county-based blueprint, permitting counties to advance based on performance in three health metrics.
March 4, 2021, 11am PST | Irvin Dawid
Share
President Joe Biden and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning Americans about the strong possibility of a fourth surge based on rapidly spreading coronavirus variants that are more transmissible than what was experienced in the spring, summer, and fall/winter surges, but some states have dismissed the warning in light of falling infections and hospitalizations.

Sonoma , California , United-states , El-dorado , San-francisco , Californians , Americans , Gavin-newsom , Nora-mishanec , Nico-savidge , Santa-clara , Luis-obispo

Comprehensive Plan Update Stokes Controversy in D.C.

Comprehensive Plan Update Stokes Controversy in D.C.
Complex political dynamics are mustering for a showdown over D.C.'s comprehensive plan.
March 3, 2021, 7am PST | James Brasuell |
tedeytan
Paul Schwartzman reports on the growing coalition fighting for racial equity as Washington, D.C. prepares to consider a comprehensive plan update.
Schwartzman describes the plan as "Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s proposed changes to zoning policy"—reserving the words "comprehensive plan" for later in the article.
"The revisions would allow taller apartment buildings on key corridors, potentially catalyzing the construction of tens of thousands of housing units, a portion of them subsidized," explains Schwartzman. Moreover, "Under the revised policy, developers would have to devote up to 20 percent of square footage to below-market units — in some cases, more than double the existing requirement."

Cleveland-park , District-of-columbia , United-states , Washington , Paul-schwartzman , Parisa-norouzi , Bonnie-lepard , Cleveland-park-historical-society , Community-economic-development , Housing , Land-use , Social-demographics

Massachusetts Reopens, But Too Early?

Massachusetts Reopens, But Too Early?
Many coronavirus restrictions were lifted on Monday in Massachusetts by Gov. Charlie Baker due to falling COVID cases and hospitalizations, but many experts feel the move is too hasty and could lead to a resurgence in the virus.
March 3, 2021, 8am PST | Irvin Dawid
Share
Indoor dining capacity limits were lifted on March 1 as the Bay State advanced in its coronavirus reopening plan. "With public health metrics continuing to trend in a positive direction, including drops in average daily COVID cases and hospitalizations, and vaccination rates continuing to increase, the Baker-Polito Administration is taking steps to continue to reopen the Commonwealth’s economy," states their announcement on Feb. 25.

Bay-state , Massachusetts , United-states , Boston , Boston-university , Washington , White-house , District-of-columbia , Robert-horsburgh , Rochelle-walensky , John-king , Martinj-walsh

New Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Targets Health Inequities

A new Regional Plan Association initiative is assessing potential solutions to historic inequities in planning policy.

Healthy-regions-planning-exchange , Regional-plan-association , Community-economic-development , Environment , Government-politics , Social-demographics , Urban-development , United-states , Public-health , Healthy-cities , Environmental-justice

A Fourth Coronavirus Surge is Likely

A Fourth Coronavirus Surge is Likely
The plunge in daily new coronavirus cases has ceased and may be climbing again, but the news is brighter when looking at the summer. Most of the public health experts interviewed by The New York Times believe a surge is likely but not inevitable.
March 1, 2021, 10am PST | Irvin Dawid
Share
“We may be done with the virus, but clearly the virus is not done with us,” Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a Feb. 26 press briefing by the White House COVID-19 Response Team. She added that "the latest data suggests that these declines may be stalling, potentially leveling off at, still, a very high number."

New-york , United-states , United-kingdom , Toronto , Ontario , Canada , Texas , Washington , White-house , District-of-columbia , Britain , Ashleigh-tuite

Noise Pollution Harms the Heart, Too

Noise Pollution Harms the Heart, Too
New research shows that excessive noise levels have significant negative impacts on heart health.
February 28, 2021, 5am PST | Diana Ionescu |
Many urban dwellers know the familiar fatigue caused by persistent traffic and aircraft noise, but it's not just hearing and mental health that suffer. New research shows that sound can have deleterious effects on heart health, report Cypress Hansen and Knowable Magazine in The Atlantic.
A German cardiologist living near the Frankfurt Airport started studying the issue after the airport installed a new runway, adding to the daily air traffic and noise experienced by its neighbors. "In the last decade, a growing body of research more directly links air and road-traffic noise to heightened risks for a number of cardiovascular ailments—and scientists are starting to pinpoint the mechanisms at play." In the case of the Frankfurt airport, people living nearby have a 7% higher risk of stroke.

Frankfurt , Brandenburg , Germany , World-health-organization , Cypress-hansen , Knowable-magazine , Frankfurt-airport , Western-europeans , Government-politics , Land-use , Social-demographics

How to Fix Racist Housing Policies: Sue the Suburbs

How to Fix Racist Housing Policies: Sue the Suburbs
Strengthening U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's civil rights enforcement could send a powerful signal to communities resistant to changing discriminatory housing rules.
February 25, 2021, 8am PST | Diana Ionescu |
Paul Sableman
A quick glance at current statistics shows the stark and continuing legacy of housing discrimination policies in American cities, writes Jerusalem Demsas for Vox. Studies show that "moving to a wealthier neighborhood not only increased the likelihood that kids would go to college, but also increased earnings by roughly 31 percent by the time they’d reached their mid-20s." Yet neighborhoods remain largely segregated, with many areas inaccessible to the average family.

United-states , American , Sara-pratt , Office-of-fair-housing , Justice-department , Department-of-housing , Jerusalem-demsas , Fair-housing , Urban-development , Equal-opportunity , Community-economic-development , Government-politics

Boston Leaders Want A Dog Park in Every Neighborhood

Boston Leaders Want A Dog Park in Every Neighborhood
City leaders want to build more off-leash dog parks, partly as a response to the trend of "pandemic puppies" that has led to a sharp spike in urban dog ownership.
February 24, 2021, 7am PST | Diana Ionescu |
As the pandemic forced people to isolate from their friends and co-workers, many Americans took solace in adopting a furry friend. As Marcela García writes for the Boston Globe, "the dog economy is booming." With so many "pandemic puppies" in new homes, "soon-to-be mature dogs will be matriculating in public spaces and will insist that their voices are heard." Recently, city officials in Boston confirmed that they want to build a dog park in every neighborhood, but some opponents push back on what they see as a frivolous use of public funds.

Boston , Massachusetts , United-states , Americans , Marcela-garc , Boston-globe , Community-economic-development , Government-politics , Land-use , Social-demographics , Urban-development

Boston to Require Fair Housing Review for New Developments

Boston to Require Fair Housing Review for New Developments
The Boston Zoning Code is one of the first in the nation to Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
February 23, 2021, 6am PST | James Brasuell |
Back in December, Boston took steps to become the first large city in the nation to include Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) requirements in its zoning code. The news broke about the city's historic action after a vote by the City Council and an announcement of support by Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
According to the press release from Mayor Walsh's office, the new zoning amendment "will require developers in Boston to take substantial steps to stem displacement and provide further access to housing to those historically discriminated against."

Boston , Massachusetts , United-states , Kathy-brown , James-jennings , Robert-terrell , Martinj-walsh , Lincoln-larmond , City-council , Planning-commission , Development-areas-pdas , Affirmatively-furthering-fair-housing

Rents Rising Despite the Pandemic

The latest data from CoreLogic from December 2020 shows that despite headlining-grabbing rent declines in San Francisco and New York, some rents are continuing and even surpassing pre-pandemic trends.

Phoenix , Arizona , United-states , Veronika-bondarenko , Corelogic , Housing , Social-demographics , North-carolina , Rental-prices , Housing-prices , Rental-market