World

Alex Goldmark reports on the new NASA-inspired space elevator design that is primed for testing and could make it possible for billionaires to step foot on the moon sooner than later.

September 15, 2012 - Transportation Nation

Ever wish it didn't take 4 calls, 2 letters, and 1 community meeting to get a pothole fixed in your city? A new software developed by IBM would allow cities to mine social media to get a picture of public sentiment, long before you dial 3-1-1.

September 14, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Hazel Borys compiles an extraordinary list of studies quantifying the role of livable, walkable places in building equity, city coffers, health, and social capital.

September 14, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Reflecting on his experiences at CNU's recent Transportation Summit, Jarrett Walker examines "the mutual incomprehension that plagues the relationship between urban designers and transit planners."

September 13, 2012 - Human Transit

Jay Walljasper chronicles the decline of lively public spaces in the era of "rampant traffic, proliferating privatization, heightened security...and the internet," and human kind's existential need for protecting and expanding the public realm.

September 12, 2012 - On The Commons

Going beyond the analytical parameters of the popular Walk Score website, a new site aims to broaden the scope of analysis to include more qualitative information, such as safety and streetscape, in determining which areas are pedestrian friendly.

September 12, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Writing for Yahoo! Travel, Aefa Mulholland identifies five of the most dangerous roads in the world - from India's chaotic city streets to Bolivia's mountain hugging back roads.

September 10, 2012 - Yahoo! Travel

The urban parking garage gets an overhaul with the innovation of multiblock parking. By constructing underneath multiple blocks, developers and cities can improve parking efficiencies and lower costs.

September 9, 2012 - Urban Land Magazine

The technology is there, and has been for a decade. Still, Wi-Fi's roll-out into our homes has been slow, at best, and continues to be confronted by various challenges.

September 8, 2012 - The New York Times

The humor site Cracked takes a look at what happens when green technology backfires: melting houses, blinded jet pilots and buildings drowning in urine.

September 7, 2012 - Cracked.com

Alexis C. Madrigal get exclusive access to "Ground Truth," Google's project to develop the most accurate maps in the world. But why is the master of the virtual world so intent on documenting the physical world?

September 7, 2012 - The Atlantic

Using examples of exceptional streets from diverse settings across the world, Kaid Benfield tries to tease out what makes a great city street.

September 7, 2012 - Switchboard

A new city prosperity index has been unveiled by UN-Habitat at this week's World Urban Forum. The index seeks to catalog the ways in which global urbanization can encourage shared prosperity and human development, reports Claire Provost.

September 7, 2012 - The Guardian

More often than not, innovation springs from social interaction, rather than the romantic notion of the genius in isolation. With this in mind, Jessica Stoller-Conrad and Nancy Shute discuss three important ways in which geography fuels innovation.

September 7, 2012 - NPR

As anyone who's raised an eyebrow upon hearing that Los Angeles is technically more dense than New York can attest, making city-to-city comparisons can be a confounding endeavor. Nate Berg goes in search of a uniform way to define the city.

September 6, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Despite the seemingly positive news outlined in a new report detailing the role global warming periods play in increasing biodiversity, today's extremely-rapid warming trajectory may cancel out any hope of that.

September 6, 2012 - The Guardian

Kaid Benfield returns to his popular blog at the NRDC's Switchboard site after a three-week hiatus, with thoughts on the purpose of his writings and how "overly familiar vocabulary can lead to overly familiar thinking."

September 5, 2012 - Switchboard

The Project for Public Spaces (PPS), who have been working with UN-HABITAT on sustainable urbanization, describe why establishing public spaces can be even more important to improving the world's slums than providing power or clean water.

September 5, 2012 - Project For Public Spaces

Richey Piiparinen discusses the "Frankenstein effects" of place-making, in which, he argues, the diversity of people and place that attracts the creative class is eventually forced out by those in search of the "highest and best use."

September 4, 2012 - New Geography

Architect Michael Graves pens an opinion piece for The New York Times that explores the effect that computers are having on the architectural creative process. Does the decline in hand drawing result in a diminished ability for speculation?

September 4, 2012 - The New York Times