Environment
Sustainable Cities Could Save The Planet
A review of the 7th annual EcoCity World Summit reveals some of the ideas and innovations the planners, architects and builders are using to create greener and more sustainable cities.
Earth To Houston: Wake Up And Smell The Greenhouse Gas Emissions
While the American Dream Coalition celebrates the 'freedom and affordability' of Houston -- Robert Steuteville wonders why the group ignores the environmental and financial consequences of such an auto-dependent city.
13 Influential Environmental Leaders
Newsweek profiles the most influential environmental leaders of the last century.
Can The Earth Provide Enough Food For 9 Billion People?
That's how many are expected to inhabit the world by 2050. Experts worry over looming food shortages.
Urban Railyard Finds New Life As Wetland Park
A former bus and rail yard in park-poor South Los Angeles will be converted into an "urban wetland park".
'Guerrilla Gardeners' Taking Over Neglected Public Places
Vacant lots and underutilized dirt patches are the the romping grounds of a new breed of activists. Known as "guerrilla gardeners", groups of people all over the world are reclaiming their cities' public spaces and landscapes by planting seeds.
New Maps Show Broad Range of Earthquake Risk in U.S.
New earthquake hazard maps from the U.S. Geological Survey show increased earthquake risk areas beyond typical hotspots like California. Geologists say planners and local officials should react to the maps by updating building codes.
Does LEED Have a Big City Bias?
The vast majority of LEED-certified green buildings in the U.S. are located in major cities, leading some to wonder whether there might be an inherent bias in LEED's standards.
Dubai Floats Idea to Build Around Sea Level Problems
With rising sea levels and a penchant for ambitious new building ideas, Dubai is moving forward with plans to construct floating buildings and islands.
'America's Most Endangered River'
American Rivers has named the Catawba River--which spans both Carolinas--as America's Most Endangered River for 2008, citing rapid development and outdated water supply management as factors in its ranking.
The Island of Garbage
This 12-part video series from Vice gives a gritty look at the Texas-sized patch of plastic flotsam that has formed in the Pacific Ocean -- and the global environmental and health hazards it presents.
County Requires All New Homes To Be Green
All new homes in Montgomery County, Maryland, will be required to comply with environmental and energy-efficiency standards.
Gonna Green Me A Condo
From construction to infrastructure to social marketing, the Dockside Green condominiums in Victoria B.C. is becoming recognized as the greenest in Canada.
Questioning New York City's Sustinability Plan
With Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan defeated, can the city's vision for long-term sustainability be achieved?
Tapped Out
America is reaching the limits of its water supply, signaling a need to change urban development, energy and agricultural practices, writes Shiney Varghese of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Support Wanes for Turkey's Controversial Dam
A massive dam project in Turkey that would flood historic areas and displace 50,000 people is losing international support, as officials in Germany threaten to pull out of the project -- often called a smaller version of China's Three Gorges Dam.
How Drugs Kill Forests
Drug traffickers, growers and drug law enforcement agents are wreaking havok on the forests of Central America, where large plots of forest are clear-cut for drug crop growing and sprayed to eliminate illicit substances.
American Mayors and Bottom-Up Environmental Planning
The environmental leadership of mayors in the U.S. offers much hope for the future of the country, according to this article from Metropolis.
Time to Adapt to a Warmer World is Now
Public officials and scientists are starting to say that adaptation to climate change is just as important as trying to stem climate change. One way to adapt is to embrace smart growth principles that reduce energy usage, according to this article.
Market Woes Stifle 'Great Park' Progress
Three years after Irvine, California's "Great Park" was approved, development of the planned public spaces, homes and businesses has struggled to move forward. The housing crisis is being blamed for the lack of action.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
