The Planetizen News Brief - 8/30/07

• Artist: Planetizen
• Title: Planetizen Podcast - 2007-08-30 - The Planetizen News Brief
• Album: Planetizen Podcast
• Year: 2007
• Length: 3:55 minutes (3.64 MB)
• Format: Stereo 44kHz 128Kbps (CBR)

The Planetizen News Brief is a weekly rundown of some of the most interesting and important news and issues of the past week.

The Planetizen News Brief airs every week on the nationally-syndicated radio program "Smart City", which is broadcast in cities across the U.S. Learn more about Smart City and listen to archived shows.

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Full Transcript

Every year, more than 80 million people are added to the world’s urban population. And 35 million of them end up in slums. The magnitude of this problem is huge, and some are warning that the world’s supply of architects and planners is too low and too inexperienced to tackle it. An article in the International Herald Tribune examines this issue, which is further exacerbated by the lopsided concentration of the world’s planners and architects. Most of these professionals tend to end up in developed countries, but it is those developing countries where they are needed the most. And while some say that this concentration is explained by the fact that developed countries have the money to pay planners and architects, others argue it is the education system that doesn’t put enough emphasis on teaching about the problems faced by the developing world.

Another problem facing urban areas is the lack of locally-grown food. But the city of Detroit has taken an innovative step to bring farming and gardening back into the urban makeup. The Detroit Free Press reports that the city offers free permits to farm on any of the city’s 20,000 vacant lots -- a program that has brought life -- and food -- to formerly blighted areas. Detroit residents have been able to use these urban microfarms to create niche markets for locally-grown food, with some of the farmers even making deals with local restaurants that regularly buy their crops. Many in the city call the program an example for other cities to give a new life to their vacant properties.

And finally, a controversial lawsuit has been settled between the state of California and one of its counties. The state alleged that San Bernardino County did not include considerations for reducing greenhouse gas emission as part of its latest general plan, a new state requirement. But the suit has stopped short of court on an agreement that allows the county 30 months to amend its plan to include policies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in what is one of the most rapidly developing counties in the state. The new agreement has many in the county worrying that making the required amendments to the general plan could hinder that development. But the state says that compared to the potential detriment to the environment, the county’s loss would be a small price to pay.

Stories discussed in this week's Planetizen News Brief

Will Architects And Planners Fail The World's Urban Dwellers?

Urban Microfarming: A Smart Solution For Vacant Lots

Lawsuit Over General Plan Ignoring Global Warming Settled