World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

To Helmet, or Not to Helmet

That is the question being debated among cyclists as a growing anti-helmet movement becomes more vocal.

December 21, 2010 - Grist

The Music of Planning

A website called "Isle of Tune" lets you build streets SimCity-style, with a twist- the houses and streetlights become musical elements in the sequence that you make.

December 20, 2010 - TechCrunch

Physicist Tackles Urban Theory

Physicist Geoffrey West of the Santa Fe Institute applied his talents to unraveling urban issues like population growth in a similar vein that he did earlier with biology. He found answers that explain how all cities work if enough data is supplied.

December 20, 2010 - The New York Times - Magazine

Dystopic Dioramas

Artist Lori Nix has created an installation she calls simply, "The City". It consists of detailed dioramas of crumbling public institutions like libraries, churches, and malls.

December 17, 2010 - Fast Company

Five Technologies That Matter For Cities

Mobile broadband, government-sponsored cloud computing, smart devices - these are a few of the technologies that cities should be thinking about for the future, says the Institute for the Future in a new report.

December 17, 2010 - Fast Company

Cities: Art and the Creative Class Aren't Going to Save You

Thomas Sevcik says that hoping for an economic benefit by attracting the creative class and artists is a wrongheaded strategy.

December 17, 2010 - Urban Omnibus

The Growing Popularity of HOT Lanes

An interview with HOT lane expert Jack Finn of HNTB, which asks the tough questions, like are these "Lexus lanes" bad for the poor, or the environment?

December 17, 2010 - The Infrastructurist

Encouraging Low Carbon Cities

Controlling carbon emissions hinges on encouraging cities that have small carbon footprints, writes Matthew E. Kahn.

December 17, 2010 - World Policy Blog

Your Next Car Might Run on Air

CNN profiles the "Air Pod", a tiny three-wheeled vehicle that runs on compressed air [Video]

December 15, 2010 - CNN

The Impact of 'Top Cities' Lists

Countless publications have released listings of the "Top Cities" in a wide range of topics. They definitely get attention, but do they make a difference?

December 12, 2010 - Next American City

Do Rainforests Grow on Money?

In an effort to halt the destruction of rainforests, increasing amounts of money are being offered to countries for preservation efforts. But some wonder whether throwing money at the problem will yield a solution.

December 11, 2010 - Der Spiegel

Adios Automobile!

TheCityFix looks at the future of the automobile in cities and the possibilities of moving people in to alternative modes in times when car ownership rates are still exploding.

December 9, 2010 - TheCityFix

Cycling Super Highways

Rachel Smith of AECOM says that seven-meter wide cycling "super highways" are the X-factor to transform our cities, our lifestyles and our health and revolutionize the way we travel.

December 9, 2010 - Rachel Smith

Who's That Delivering Your Package?

A student idea brought to life, bring.BUDDY is a smartphone app that connects packages that need to be delivered with people who are already headed in that direction. The volunteer deliverers earn points for transit and other goodies.

December 8, 2010 - Springwise

Redefining "Smart Growth" for the 21st Century

Kaid Benfield of the NRDC thinks it is time to add more specifics to the definition of smart growth. He prescribes a set of six new focus areas, including equity and health, that he argues should be emphasized in the 21st-century smart growth agenda.

December 7, 2010 - Natural Resources Defense Council

In Planning for the Future, "Integration Is A Key Means of Moving Towards Sustainability"

Jonna McKone details her case for integrated, systematic approaches to problems in the realms of urban mobility and sustainability. Can seamless connectivity between sectors such as planning, business, and energy create better long-term solutions?

December 7, 2010 - The City Fix

Satellite Crash Jeopardizes Russian GPS Program

Russia has been developing a $2 billion alternative to the American GPS system. This week, a programming error sent 3 critical satellites crashing into the Pacific Ocean.

December 7, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

A Giant of a Book on Urban Design

Ben Brown reviews Dhiru Thadani's new book, The Language of Towns and Cities. Weighing in at 800 pages, this encyclopedic urban design dictionary defines planning terms with extensive graphics.

December 6, 2010 - PlaceShakers

Can Web-Aggregated Data Improve Society?

In an experiment in social data gathering, Slate's Michael Agger suggests that there is a host of ways we could be contributing our personal data to help make better policy decisions.

December 6, 2010 - Slate

Do Architects Have A Napoleon Complex?

I.M. Pei, Robert A.M. Stern, Daniel Libeskind, Louis Kahn, Frank Gehry - all of these architects were height-challenged. Witold Rybczynski writes in Slate about why great architects are usually short and what that means for the built environment.

December 4, 2010 - Slate

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.