World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Starchitecture and Sustainability: Hope, Creativity, and Futility Collide in Contemporary Architecture
Can today's contemporary architects, schooled in modernism and invention, in fact incorporate the sort of green building materials and techniques that make a real difference? And does design really matter? Josh Stephens takes a look.
How Architects Learn: The Debate
Geoff Manaugh at BLDBLG talks about the role of the architecture student. Should they be allowed create experimental designs, even when the field of practice is so narrow it is unlikely they'll ever be able to design like that again?
Hearing Acoustics Before The Building Is Built
A new computer modeling technique called "auralization" does just that, turning architectural drawings into simulated spaces.
Emissions Impact of Biofuels Undercounted
A new report claims that the way the global warming impact of biofuels is measured leaves out the land use component of clearing land and growing crops.
The Great Cities in History
A new book edited by John Julius Norwich with that title selects the 68 cities that have made the most impact on history. The Wall St. Journal has a review.
What To Do With Unused Phone Booths
This project offers a new idea about how to make use of dead phone booths.
Parcel Map Data Added To Google Maps
GIS folks are Twittering about this new addition to Google Maps. Blogger Joe Francia talks to Michael Jones, Google's chief technology advocate, about what the new data means, and where it's coming from.
The Real Inconvenient Truth: Global Land Use
Global warming is a problem, says climate scientist Jonathan Foley, but it's not the only one. The other major problem facing the global environment is a pattern of land use for agriculture that is grossly unsustainable.
From Contrast to Continuity: A New Preservation Philosophy
With the emergence of new traditional design patterns among contemporary architects, the standards and rules that have defined historic preservation are becoming obsolete. Steven W. Semes calls on planners and designers to create a new ethic of harmonious intervention into historic settings.
Stretching Architectural Boundaries
Huffington Post highlights 11 astonishing architectural proposals from around the world [slideshow].
Make Small Plans
In contrast to the classic Burnham plea, Andrew M. Manshel says that planning big often misses the essential nature of the urban experience.
Let's Try Cap-and-Trade on Babies
Not having babies is, arguably, the most effective way of limiting one's carbon footprint. Experts discuss ways to approach this touchy subject.
Changing Behavior With Fun
Some excellent video illustrations of how including an element of fun can change people's behavior, including the 'World's Deepest' Trashcan.
Wacky, Whimsical Buildings
This slideshow features colorful, bold buildings from around the world.
Mega-Regions Rule the World
Richard Florida notes that there are only 40 significant mega-regions that drive the global economy, and are poised for faster recovery from the economic slowdown.
Ugliest Buildings in the World
Travel + Leisure Magazine picks their worst buildings ever, including a Michael Graves-designed office in Portland and the National Library of Belarus.
Food and Urban Form
Carolyn Steel gives a talk inspired by her new book "Hungry Cities," about the history of feeding urban areas, and the ways in which food might reach increasingly urban populations in the future.
The Solution to the White Roof Weakness
The problem with white roofs is that while they keep apartments and the atmosphere cool, come winter people want that heat to absorb. A new high-tech roofing material switches from white to black when needed.
Citizen-Activated Adaptive Urban Spaces
The availability of information in the city is creating a new opportunity for adaptive and interactive urban spaces. As Carlo Ratti of MIT's SENSEable City Lab discusses, the key is people.
How to Make Housing Affordable
Avi Friedman has some ideas of how to make housing more affordable. He says that the focus is too much on the mortgage and subsidies side and not enough on lower building costs.
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
