World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Personal Rapid Transit: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Malcolm Buchanan writes that advances in control technology and the upcoming launch of the Heathrow Airport PRT mean that Personal Rapid Transit is ready for the spotlight.
Project Lilypad: A 'Floating Ecopolis'
Belgian architect Vincent Callebaut has designed a floating city with the noble goal of housing displaced peoples who's homelands have been destroyed.
Is Prefab Overhyped?
Prefab housing is experiencing a revival of interest among architects and design magazines. But as one realtor puts it, “I just think the whole thing is a false promise."
What Country Uses the Most Gas? California
Alexis Madrigal at Wired digs into the stats, and find that the state of California uses more gasoline than any country in the world.
Film Celebrates 'Garbage Warrior' in Struggle Against Planners
A new documentary film looks at the achievements of Michael Reynolds, who for 20 years has been building eco-friendly, off-grid "earth ship" houses built out of natural materials and car tires.
Do Sustainable Buildings Need to Be Ugly?
As the number of sustainable buildings increase rapidly, ecologically friendly designs are shedding an ugly past for a sleeker and more striking future.
Influence of Landscape Architects Rises With Urbanization
Landscape architects aren't typically well known, but their work is a major part of many peoples' lives. As urbanization increases, their influence on city dwellers will become more noticeable, according to this article.
The American Dream in Reverse
With housing prices out of reach for many immigrants in the U.S., more and more are investing in houses in their home countries -- and their governments and local lenders are doing all they can to encourage it.
The Importance of Posters in Public Life
Street posters play an important role in participatory civic life, according to this article from re:place magazine.
Green Report Card Rates Countries, Highlights Shortcomings
Grading countries for their environmental friendliness reveals some surprising results about which countries aren't doing enough to clean themselves up.
Oil and Coal Will Continue To Be Energy Mainstays
Unless international carbon-capping treaties are implemented, fossil fuel consumption (with their greenhouse gas emissions) will increase 50% by 2030, largely resulting from growth in energy consumption in China and other developing nations.
The Green City of the Future
This multimedia presentation from Popular Science offers a vision of future green cities and the technologies that will sustain them.
Most Polluted Cities
This slideshow from Popular Science looks at some of the most heavily polluted cities in the world.
Mike Davis Reflects on the Meaning of Dubai
Mike Davis wonders if the excesses of Dubai portend a rapidly-warming and deteriorating world of diverging urban fortunes, where a minority live in eco-friendly luxury, while most endure polluted squalor.
People Mover
This article from Next American City looks at escalators -- the expensive, energy-intensive, and often under-used transportation mode.
Bucky's Sustainable Planet
Inventor, visionary, and architect Buckminster Fuller used design to tackle problems including homelessness and environmental degradation.
Open Source Architecture
Architects are coming together to create innovative designs aimed at solving the world's tough humanitarian problems.
New Cruise Ship Will Have Its Own 'Central Park'
Royal Caribbean is building the world's largest cruise ship, which will be a city in its own right with seven different neighborhoods and a central public space/urban park.
Jaime Lerner's Ideas Go Global
Metropolis Magazine talks with bus rapid transit pioneer Jaime Lerner about the gradual global spread of his successful ideas from Curitiba.
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
