Urban and Regional Studies (URS) explores the social, political, economic, and physical elements that influence the development of our cities. It examines how planning is used to control dynamic forces of change like homelessness, smog, urban forests, immigration, global warming, aging populations, energy conservation, and traffic. Concerns include how urban neighborhoods are becoming more diverse in terms of social, racial, and architectural characteristics; the demise of agricultural service hubs in the West; and the management of urban sprawl.