World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
The Beauty of Public Spaces
A new book by Robert Gatje gives public squares and piazzas the coffee-table treatment, meticulously detailing what makes these historic spaces work.
Cities With the Most Pedestrian Deaths
GOOD Magazine has an infographic illustrating the world cities with the most pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 residents. Unsurprisingly, 3 American cities are at the top of the list.
The Big Digs of the 21st Century
Jerry Soverinsky picks the most ambitious transportation projects of the century so far, from a tunnel in Turkey to an ice road in Canada.
Our 3D Augmented Future
"Augmented Reality" is currently a smart phone phenomenon that uses the phone's camera to overlay visual data on real spaces. Architecture student Keiichi Matsuda imagines a future where our visual space is completely overtaken by augmented reality.
Turning Cities into Software
Many have called for "urban operating systems" to streamline how cities work, but few ideas have really taken hold. One small start-up, however, is making strides in developing that concept.
A New Ethic for Urban Reinvention
In a unique collaboration, an American lawyer and a Venezuelan architect merge thinking on holistic design, planning and regulation
Can We Get Utopia Right?
Salon interviews author J.C. Hallman about his new book "In Utopia," which explores modern-day utopian projects and how they differ from those of the past.
Soda Giant Leading Effort to Clean World's Polluted Rivers
As rural and urban runoff taints the waters of the Yangtze River in China, environmentalists have joined forces with Coca-Cola to try to improve water quality -- a move that's good for water users in China, and for the water-dependent business.
A Comparative Analysis of Land Use Controls
Various rules and regulations control the form of today's cities. This info graphic and article from re:place looks at how those systems control the urban environment and how they compare.
The Case Against The Centralized City
Kerwin Datu suggests that transit in cities of the future should no longer be organized around a distinct center. "Rather than think of a city as a centre surrounded by suburbs, think of it as a patchwork of specialised districts woven together."
Power Balace to Shift From Nations to Cities
The rise of megacities and innovation hubs is leading to a balance shift that will make cities, not nations, the most powerful drivers in the world economy, according to Parag Khanna.
Is A Denser Urban World Inevitable?
Writing in Foreign Policy, Joel Kotkin argues that increasing urbanization and density are not inevitable realities.
Ebenezer Howard Lives
Victorian-style model towns from the age of Ebenezer Howard are seeing a revival in emerging urban areas, according to this piece from The Guardian.
Unleashing the Planner in Everyone
This piece from Next American City looks at a variety of urban planning-focused events being hosted by cultural institutions, and how those events help to include the regular citizen in the process of planning.
Understand Nature to Grow Green Jobs
Clean energy jobs aren't just about slapping solar panels on building, according to this op-ed. Building the green economy relies on building our own understanding of the interplay of natural systems.
The Top 20 Urban Planning Successes of All Time
An interesting post appeared on the Public Servant Blog a few days ago. The list includes Amsterdam, Eugene, Oregon; Ponce Center City, Puerto Rico; and the city of Philadelphia among others.
Is the Magic Word "Density", or "Location"?
Looking back at research from 1977, The Overhead Wire decides that maybe there is an overemphasis on residential density increasing transit ridership, when the greatest impact comes from location.
Urban Cemetery Space Running Out
In crowded New York City, finding a final resting place in one of the city's cemeteries is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive. Other major cities are facing the same crunch.
Making Sense of Neighborhood Structure
Planner Sam Gennawey details a public participation exercise he regularly uses, taken from the ideas of Christopher Alexander, that makes complex ideas simple for public understanding.
Residents Who Live Near Public Transportation Live Healthier, Longer Lives
Study indicates that public transit improvements and more transit oriented development can provide large but often overlooked health benefits.
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
