Europe
'Self-Regulating' Traffic Lights Reduce Waiting Time
Researchers in Europe are experimenting with a new kind of traffic light that better responds to traffic by monitoring the actual amount of cars on the road and estimating how long lights should stay green.
A Week of Biking Joyously
On a fact-finding mission to the Netherlands, a delegation of California public officials marvel at the promise of bicycles for 21st Century transportation. Jay Walljasper gives this personal account of the trip.
Despite Expenses, Athens Enjoys Transit Legacy of 2004 Olympics
The 2004 Olympics in Athens burdened the city with underutilized venues and deep debt. But the event also vastly improved pedestrian and public transportation.
EU Blasts France's Expulsion of Gypsies
The conservative government led by French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been deporting hundreds of Gypsies, the nomadic people who number in the thousands in France. EU officials have called the move "a disgrace".
Suburbs Go Head To Head With The City
"With cities worldwide busy repurposing their industrial districts and docklands as upmarket housing and waterfront retail centres, the suburbs need to find a new competitive edge," writes Sarah Murray.
Subway (and Subway Riders) To Heat Apartment Building
Heat emitting from riders of the Paris Metro and from the subway trains will heat 17 apartments in a new system debuting in France.
Exporting Suburbanism
Developing countries have begun importing Western-style pro-sprawl urban planning policies, often to their detriment. Kuala Lumpur and cities across the communist world are examined.
Paris, City of Bees
The BBC reports that there is a surge in urban beekeeping in Paris, with 400 hives and growing within the city limits.
Extensive Rapid Transit System Planned For Paris' Outer-Ring Suburbs
An extensive 96-mile network of rapid transit lines connecting Paris' poorer outer-ring suburbs, on hold since it was proposed a year ago because of its considerable cost, takes a step closer to realization.
Five Levels of Public Space
HafenCity is a district in Hamburg that is being built with flooding in mind. One way the development prepares for rising waters is having several layers of public space that can be used, creating a model for cities facing global warming.
FedEx Testing Electric Tricycles for Deliveries
The global courier has transformed the way packages are delivered around Paris by deploying large eco-friendly tricycles that go beyond the curb.
Finalists Chosen in Redesign Bid for Decommissioned Airport
Six finalists have been chosen in a bid to redesign Berlin's decommissioned Tempelhof Airport. The airport is currently open as a park, but the city wants a more formal redesign.
Seeking That Neighborly Feeling
The new HafenCity district under construction in Hamburg, Germany, is one of the largest urban developments underway today. Some worry that its newness and bigness aren't prime conditions for harboring neighborliness.
A New Ethic for Urban Reinvention
In a unique collaboration, an American lawyer and a Venezuelan architect merge thinking on holistic design, planning and regulation
Seeking Private Sponsors for Colosseum Renovation
The city of Rome is looking for a private sponsor to buy advertising rights on its historic Colosseum. The $33 million contract would pay for renovation on the site.
Spain the Model Train Citizen
As the U.S. eases itself into a national system of high speed trains, other nations seem to be decades ahead, especially Spain.
Chinese Developers Plan to Recreate Salvador Dali's Hometown
Developers in China have announced plans to build a recreation of the hometown of Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali.
French Utopia Devolves
Born from the 1968 riots, a carefully planned community in France has been steadily taken over by crime and unrest, prompting some to question whether its utopian ideals actually work.
Rem Koolhaas Produces Plan To Run Europe On Shared Renewable Energy
OMA proposes to redesign a whole continent along energy saving lines. Called Roadmap 2050, it is a plan that "combines the belief that drastic intervention is required to mitigate climate change, with a desire to give meaning and power to the E.U."
Two Conflicting Population Issues Affecting The World
A population research group reports on two simultaneously occurring population trends in the world affecting developed and less developed nations: Working age adults have dropped precipitously, while poorer nations grow too fast.
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
