Europe
Building a Resort on an Olympic Foundation
As it prepares to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, the beachfront Russian city of Sochi is hoping to become an attractive resort city. Money is flowing and development is under way, but some expect growing pains.
Locals Upset as Ads Invade Venice
The historic city of Venice has largely been free from outdoor advertising, but a new deal with the city allows billboards to be placed on scaffolding set up for building renovations. Locals are not very happy about the change.
European Bike Sharing Programs Transform Cities
Paris' bike sharing program is well-known, but not alone - these programs are flourishing throughout Europe. The key to their proliferation lies in the new technology they utilize. This article highlights the 'third-generation' Barcelona program.
New U.S. Streetcars A Boon to European Makers
A surge in streetcar system construction in the United States is benefitting a number of tram builders like Siemens of Germany and Skoda of the Czech Republic.
Spain's Manufacturing Boomtown Feels Economic Slump
The manufacturing town of Zaragoza, Spain is beginning to feel the crunch of the global economic slowdown, as a General Motors plant goes on a temporary hiatus.
Op-Ed: Russia's Health Crisis Belies Its Economic Success
Russia's economic transformation due to its oil wealth is well-known, but not so the state of its public health which shows an alarming contrasting picture.
Transforming Landfill Into Landscape
A project to transform a municipal landfill into a terraced landscape wins high honors at the 2008 World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
Three Oil Producing Nations Impacted By Oil Price Plunge
Plunging oil prices are hitting three oil-producing countries the hardest: Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. This article looks at each of them and evaluates how they will fare if oil prices do not rise, including their relationships to the U.S.
Climate Protection Jeopardized By Financial Crisis & Recession
The worldwide credit crisis will affect the ability of the developed world to tackle climate change. Businesses in Europe and U.S. are asking for delays in meeting emission reductions mandates notwithstanding the drop in oil prices.
Report from the Congress For European Urbanism
Faith Cable reports on the CEU's 3rd annual conference, held in Oslo, Norway, which addressed cities and their ability to address climate change through urban design.
Navigating Shared-Space Streets in the US
At a time when motorists have a smorgasbord of distractions to contend with, select US streets take a taste of a Scandinavian recipe for street design, where pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, and even trees are blended together intuitively.
When A Road Is More Than Just A Road
Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway is one of America’s most 'elegant' roads. Designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux to replicate the grand European Boulevards; opened in 1876, it was designated a landmark by NYC 100 years later
Alps Endangered as Swiss Sprawl Spreads
Over the last 70 years, sprawl has rapidly taken over much of Switzerland, not just in suburban areas around cities, but also in the country's famous Alps.
What Copenhagen's Parks Can Learn From New York
Park planners from Denmark recently toured some of New York's parks and found much to be jealous of.
Green Technology for Cities
Writing from the Connected Urban Development conference in Amsterdam, reporter Scott Smith says that "the sustainable future will be a networked future."
Spain's Immigrants Offered Payouts to Leave After Construction Bust
Spain's booming construction industry was fuelled by immigrant workers, who were encouraged to come to Spain. The economic crisis has now stalled many of those construction projects.
Carbon Tax: A Norwegian Case Study Since 1991
Norway's carbon emissions have increased 15% since imposing a carbon tax in 1991, unlike neighbor's Sweden and Denmark where emissions decreased with their carbon taxes. Unlike the oil industry which became carbon-lean, Norway's drivers didn't change
Le Mobilien: Parisian Bus Rapid Transit
Paris has invested big in Le Mobilien, its version of Bus Rapid Transit. Streetsblog has a short video profiling the system.
Prague Plans Pedestrian Zones, Excludes Homeless
Prague is building on prosperity and tourism by creating new public-private spaces for shopping and entertainment. Detractors are concerned that they are destroying real public space, and are paired with greater control on unwanted users.
Cargo Trams in Amsterdam
City Cargo of Amsterdam has developed a fleet of non-polluting vehicles to deliver cargo via the city's unused streetcar tracks. Their aim is to cut the number of trucks going into the city by 50%.
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
