World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Rappin' About Urbanism
Finnish architect Tuomas Toivonen has just released an album of urbanism- and architecture-themed rap songs.
PARK(ing) Day: Laid Back and Literal
Without a word of protest, San Francisco's Rebar Group leads the 5th annual worldwide event which highlights the need for public green space.
Fighting Traffic With Smarter Traffic Lights
Do traffic signals need to be predictable? Researchers are experimenting with giving traffic lights a mind of their own, with the power to change with the flow of traffic, sensing when it would be most advantageous to be red or green.
The Essential Principles of Brownfields Regeneration
With "brownfield" (former industrial or commercial sites) development on the rise, it is essential for planners to have a clear process for approaching this tricky development type, say Justin B. Hollander, Niall G. Kirkwood and Julia L. Gold.
The Top 10 Most Global Cities
Emily Peck counts down the top ten most global cities now that more than half the world's population is urbanized. The 21st century will be dominated by the city, writes Parag Khanna. “The age of nations is over. The new urban age has begun.”
The Streetcar Solution
In a long excerpt from his new book Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities: Design Strategies for the Post Carbon World, Patrick Condon explains the advantages of streetcars, where they went, and why we should bring them back.
Urban Living Linked To Heightened Risk of Schizophrenia
For some time researchers have noticed more instances of non-affective psychosis in urban populations than in rural groups. Now the American Medical Association has found "certain elements of city living raise the risk of developing schizophrenia."
Urbanization Multiplies The Phenomenon of Strangers
Kio Stark, professor at NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program explains lucidly how strangers and cities are "inherently intertwined."
Creating Livable Cities
This episode of The Diane Rehm Show explores efforts underway to make the world's cities more livable.
Smart Growth = Clean Air
Kaid Benfield presents the evidence that compact development can bring about a decrease in noxious emissions.
The City: Beautiful?
Is it okay yet to talk about cities and beauty in the same breath? Teacher Karrie Jacobs finds an astonishing lack of reading material for her class on aesthetic beauty and the built environment.
The Biggest in the World
Through a comparison of large buildings like the Burj Dubai and large roadside attractions like the world's "largest pecan", Keith Eggener explores the drive towards big-ness.
Reframing the Human Relationship with Water
Urban runoff and contaminated water are creating major ecological damage, even in the United States. One design competition has the goal of rethinking how we handle this crucial resource.
Why Hasn't PRT Caught On?
Personal rapid transit (PRT) has faced some challenges, says Curtis Johnson, not the least of which is the U.S.'s lack of "moonshot-mojo".
The Global Challenge of Unsafe Water
Unclean and unsafe water is an increasingly vexing problem for the world's cities, which are struggling to meet the needs of rapidly growing populations. But there has been some positive work in developing countries.
An Urban Framework Based on the Slum
Many people have argued that global cities can take lessons from informal communities like Dharavi and the favelas of Brazil. Designers Pavlina Ilieva and Kuo Pao Lian have created a new framework for city development based on these informal cities.
The Example of Miami, a Global City
Miami could be the next major American city, and one that other global cities should try to emulate, according to this interview with economist Saskia Sassen.
Mobile Devices Could Prompt Rise in City Living
This post from The Atlantic suggests that mobile devices and the ability to connect them with the Internet will help lure more people into cities.
The Myth of the City
In this essay from Lapham's Quarterly, Lewis Lapham muses on the nature of the city: how it is perceived, by whom and for whom; and how it incubates new ideas and facilitates democracy.
Legalizing and Protecting Jaywalkers Through Design
Most crosswalks are straight lines, but many people walk across streets in an arc. One designer has proposed changing the way crosswalks are painted to improve pedestrian safety.
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
