World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Streetscape

Envisioning a Truly Walkable City

Cities are putting together the pieces of walkability, but there's still work to be done in completing the puzzle.

September 23, 2018 - The Guardian

Big Box Store

IKEA's Autonomous Vehicle Concept Abandons Sleekness for Boxy Functionality

The furnishing giant's concept imagines an app-summoned fleet of "living rooms on wheels" delivering everything from groceries to health services.

September 22, 2018 - Quartz

Spain

Pontevedra, Spain: Where Cars Are Banned

Life is different in Pontevedra.

September 20, 2018 - The Guardian

Texas Apartments

Is the Urban-Suburban Divide Destined to Disappear?

In a new book, Hans Westlund and Tigran Haas argue that the global knowledge economy is radically reshaping urban development. Eventually, they say, it'll render meaningless our present notions of "urban," "suburban," and "rural."

September 20, 2018 - Regional Studies Association

Photo of google sign outside of google cafeteria

New Google Search Engines Opens Open Data

Finding the right data in an ocean of open data takes some Googling.

September 19, 2018 - Government Technology

Electric Car Charging Station

Phasing Out the Internal Combustion Engine No Easy Task

A report from the Global Climate Action Summit on a looming deadline set by the Paris climate agreement: ending sales of new gas and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

September 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Jerry Brown

California's Climate Leadership Put to the Test

A three-day global summit on climate action in San Francisco, hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown, is unlike other international climate summits in that it features "non-state actors," such as governors, mayors, and businesses, rather than nations.

September 15, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Factory Emissions

New Tool Calculates the Carbon Footprint of Cities

Google's Environmental Insights Explorer multiplies the power of Google Maps for the benefit of the planet.

September 14, 2018 - Fast Company

Beach

Friday Funny: Cartographers Are Hiding an Idyllic Continent

The rest of the world would only spoil it for the mapmakers.

September 14, 2018 - The Onion

San Francisco

Friday Eye Candy: The World's Most Beautiful Cities, Viewed From Above

A collection of drone footage of the world's most beautiful cities, for those of us ready for a deskcation.

September 14, 2018 - The Mercury News

Keep it in the Ground – 2018

As climate hawks gather in San Francisco for the Global Climate Action Summit that convenes Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown, host of the summit, is dogged by critics who can't distinguish between oil production and consumption.

September 10, 2018 - CALmatters

Smart Transport Policies for Global Sustainable Development Goals

Transport policy reforms help achieve many Sustainable Development Goals, including poverty reduction; access to healthcare, education, employment, and clean water; gender equality; better settlements; energy conservation; and emission reductions.

September 8, 2018 - Partnership on Sustainable Low Carbon Transport

Hoover Boards and Bus Transit

Ensuring the Benefits of Multiple Mobility as a Service Options

Vertically integrated mobility as a service options can offer great benefit to users, but unless cities create the right framework, it could stifle innovation and competition, as well as making the playing field too difficult for small companies.

September 6, 2018 - Urbanism Next Blog - Sustainable Cities Initiative

Harbor Beach Power Plant

Generating Thermal Energy Requires Water, Lots of It

Water is an important part of the thermal energy process – one that we may not think as much about.

September 5, 2018 - Quartz

Turnstiles

There's No 'Smart City' Without Smart Payment Technology

Thinking beyond the MetroCard.

September 2, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Utility Meter

Smart Meters and AI take on Electrical Grid Load Forecasting

With the recent development of IoT, smart meter technology, and advanced weather forecasts by machine learning, we have the ability to analyze usage and load patterns and estimate future needs to help balance the electricity grid.

August 29, 2018 - Iot Times

Bunker Fuel Exhaust

Cleaning-Up the World's Dirtiest Fuel by 2020

A 2016 rule approved by a specialized agency of the U.N. is forcing large ships that burn bunker oil, the dirtiest type of fuel, to either burn a more costly low-sulfur variety, apply scrubbers, or turn to LNG.

August 28, 2018 - The Wall Street Journal

London Crowded Street

The Many Benefits of Wandering Through Cities on Foot

Forget the countryside. Urban walking helps people understand their cities while at the same time encouraging urban landscapes where people actually want to walk.

August 26, 2018 - The Guardian

Palm Springs

New Renewable Energy Has Yet to Displace Dirty Energy

Falling costs for renewable energy may lead some to believe that coal and other mainstays have been replaced, but they haven't. Adoption of renewables is not yet outpacing growth in demand for energy.

August 25, 2018 - Axios

HVAC

Extreme Heat Is an Inequality Issue

The Guardian sounds the alarm about deadly heat exposure in poor communities around the world.

August 23, 2018 - The Guardian

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.