Europe
Tiny Submarines Run Real Cable
An Italian company is using an RC model submarine to run fiber optic cable through sewer systems.
Can Zoo Design Apply to People?
Geoff Manaugh of BLDGBLOG looks at plans for a zoo in France made up of simulated environments, and wonders why we don't build simulated environments for humans.
Bicycle Use Surpasses Car Use in Amsterdam
According to the latest numbers out of Amsterdam, residents are for the first time using bicycles for transport more often than they use their cars.
Tram-Train Technology Debuts
European cities are experimenting with trains that can switch from heavy rail (to reach suburbs on existing tracks) and street-running fixed link systems (to reach city centers).
Does Paris Have a Bike-Stealing Program?
Paris' bike-sharing program Vélib was supposed to make commuting more civilized; instead it has become the subject of widespread theft and abuse.
Well-Designed Prison, Well-Behaved Prisoners
A prison design in Austria that emphasizes inmate comfort and dignity raises questions about the role architecture and design plays in preventing or encouraging more crime.
Envisioning a New Paris, In Theory At Least
The future of Paris has been laid out by ten teams of architects and planners. The ideas are broad, futuristic, and innovative, but few are likely to be realized.
Smart Grid for a Smart City
Amsterdam has taken its smart grid live, installing solar panels and 300 electric car recharging stations throughout the city.
A Solar Car By 2010?
Italian car designer Pininfarina has announced that it will release a fully-electric, partially solar-powered car in Europe in 2010.
Moving A City
This piece from Wired looks at the Swedish mining town of Kiruna that is literally picking itself up and moving.
Proactive Vs. Reactive Transportation Planning
Alex Marshall takes a look at Spain's recent record of proactive transportation planning, connecting cities to direct development rather than to connect already successful areas.
LaHood To Learn From Spain On HSR
Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is visiting Spain, hoping to glean some knowledge from the country's recent successes with high-speed rail.
Agriculture as Growth Sector?
Herve Kemp believes that the future of employment in Europe will include a million "family farmer jobs."
Fighting Energy Ugliness
With communities balking at the purported ugliness of windtowers and solar panels, a Dutch company proposes using nature's own designs.
Learning How to be Clean and Green from Germany
Germany's experience in implementing environmentally-friendly concepts like green roofs, wind power and other renewables is pointing the way for many American decisionmakers.
Slow Progress on Russian Olympics Site
Sochi, Russia, is set to host the 2014 Winter Olympics. But work on the site has hardly begun, according to this report from The Moscow Times.
A New Suburb Without Cars
Vauban, Germany is a new suburb that is part of the 'smart planning movement'. It is car-free, i.e. the streets are car-free, while car ownership is allowed but restricted to two garages, and the cost unbundled. Only 30% of families own cars.
Mapping the Catacombs
A new mapping project is creating a comprehensive 3D image of the catacombs beneath Rome.
'Casino City' Planned in Spain
The Spanish government is moving forward with plans to build the largest casino and entertainment complex in Europe
Danish Police Hug Bicyclists
In this video, police in Denmark stop cyclists without helmets, hug them, and give them new helmets.
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
