Sustainability
Washington, D.C. Leads the Nation in Green Roofs
The nation's capital has more square feet of green roofs than any other city in the country.
Honolulu Mayor Tells All City Departments to Prepare for Sea Level Rise
The city of Honolulu has decided to treat sea level rise as an urgent matter, requiring all the resources of the city.
A New Online Tool for Charting a Path to Sustainability
A new interactive research tool will make it easier for communities to build sustainability into their urban development plans.
Ford Motor Company Touts Carbon Reductions
Ford hit a goal to reduce carbon emissions *from its manufacturing process* eight years ahead of schedule.
D.C. Updating its Sustainability Plan
The District of Columbia is updating its Sustainable DC plan, originally crafted in 2012, and seeking feedback on draft goals set for 2032.
Looking Back to Find the Future of San Diego
An advocacy group is republishing the 1974 regional plan for sustainability, and finding that it's just as relevant now as it was then.
The Search for a New Green Building Standard
The need to slash emissions from buildings is increasingly urgent, and critics say LEED won't get us there.
All the Environmental Benefits of Modular Buildings
There is plenty of evidence for modular construction as a key component of a green economy.
Five Key Takeaways from the 2018 World Urban Forum
Insight into the hard work of implementing the New Urban Agenda.
How We Can Better Integrate the Energy Industry into Eco-Friendly Planning
There are plenty of opportunities to green the world's energy production and consumption infrastructure, but it will take good planning.
Current Research on Sustainable Urban Development
"Penn: Current Research on Sustainable Urban Development" is a collection of 11 research papers on key urban topics, authored by faculty, associated researchers and fellows from three centers at the University of Pennsylvania.
Residents Move Into America's First Solar Powered Town
Residents will live in solar powered homes and ride around the community in self-driving, solar-powered shuttles. Babcock Ranch outside of Fort Myers, Florida, has been in the making since 2005. A city of 50,000 is forecasted.
Hawaii Cities Commit to Fully Renewable Ground Transportation by 2045
Mayors and civic leaders from across the Hawaiian islands signed a commitment to target 100 percent renewable ground transportation by 2045, both public and private.
In Phoenix, Sustainability Will Be Built by Node
If the desert metropolis wants to survive, it will need a strategy built on something other than a denser, more urban downtown.
Ranking the Sustainability of Transportation Systems in North American Cities
Out of 23 cities, New York City came in first, Indianapolis came in 23rd.
Comparing the Environmental Impact of Building vs. Buying a Home
Which is better for the environment: buying an existing home, inefficiencies and all, or paying to build a new home with all the bells and whistles of green building technology?
Ten Key Ingredients of a Green and Healthy Community
Everyone has a different answer on what makes a great place, depending on how wonky you'd like to get. Kaid Benfield lists his top 10 ingredients for a healthy community.
Is This How Millennials Prefer Their Suburbs?
As more young people express a preference for suburban life, Alan M. Berger gives us a vision of tomorrow's suburbs: smart and sustainable, but still spread out.
The World's First LEED Platinum City: Washington, D.C.
In 2011, Washington, D.C. adopted the Sustainable D.C. plan, establishing the capital as a leader in green building and sustainability planning. In 2017, the city is the first in the world to achieve a new mark of distinction for its accomplishments.
Coastal Cities Setting the Sustainable Development Standard
Although no U.S. region has yet to even get halfway to sustainability goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement, certain U.S. cities are doing better than the rest.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
