Urban Sociology

Urban Sociology

Illustration of several modern office buildings with geometric shapes and overlaid graphs on a grid background.
Cities and organizations alike risk becoming highly efficient — but indistinguishable — unless leaders actively preserve space for imagination and deviation.
A large group of people, some standing and some sitting, gather outdoors in front of a tent and a horse-drawn carriage, set against a grassy field with a few trees in the background.
The annual rite of passage has always been more about the ambivalence of adults than the amusement of children.
Ancient ruins with stone columns and damaged walls, featuring a statue partially visible in the background. Clear blue sky above.
In popular culture, the eruption is usually depicted as an apocalyptic event.
An old building with visible sections from four eras labeled: "REPUBLIC ERA," "OTTOMAN EMPIRE," "BYZANTINE EMPIRE," and "ROMAN EMPIRE" from top to bottom. Left side shows the building; right side shows the labeled eras.
19 rooms. 1,636 square feet. 1,800 years of history.
A collage featuring two images of Mr William Crompton, the oldest knocker-upper in Bolton in 1939.
Meet the people paid to rouse the workers of industrial Britain.
A woman shopping in an ALDI grocery store.
To see a true cross-section of American society, head to Applebee's, Buffalo Wild Wings, IHOP, Chili’s, and Olive Garden.
A Mercedes Benz parked in front of a building in Beijing, China.
China has always been one of the world’s wealthiest nations, but Chinese wealth looks different across the country’s eventful history.
a house sitting on top of a pile of money.
Becoming a renter in today’s economy may be a smart decision for some people. 
Million Stories
a map of a city with red areas.
Parking lots are about one-fifth of all land in U.S. city centers, making them "easy to get to, but not worth arriving at."
Blueprint for a city
While cities drive national economic growth, their political geography means they cannot effectively deal with inequality, poverty, and other socioeconomic problems.
europe digital divide
Some Europeans really don't want to use the internet.
“My dad asked me if I had been to tutoring and I lied… Then he showed me the tablet."
Your bites will heal, but will you ever sleep well again after an infestation of bloodsucking parasites?
Wyoming's roads are nine times deadlier than Ireland's. California's road safety is on par with Romania's.
population latitude
In 100 years, perhaps this map showing humanity clustering around the equator will seem “so 21st century.”
navigation
A large study concludes that people who grew up in rural areas are superior at navigation, likely because cities tend to be less complex.
Trafalgar Square Pyramid
Take a look at the Times Square Totem, the Trafalgar Square Pyramid, and other landmarks that were never built.
map of the empty diagonal
France is split in two by its very own "desert," the Empty Diagonal. The area’s depopulation is fairly recent, and Paris is to blame.
georg simmel
Cities overstimulate our senses and are full of people we don't know. Maybe humans were meant for this.
When we try to recreate simpler versions of natural ecosystems, we invariably make mistakes, argues author and biologist Rob Dunn.