Planners are quick to criticize roads and highway investments for the vast sums spent to build, operate and maintain them, often questioning the value of these subsidies. Recently, on a planning list-serve, these subsidies were labeled an “external cost” of automobiles, but they are not.
Oil
NewsHour Interview With 'Quest' Author Daniel Yergin
Noted energy expert Daniel Yergin has written "The Quest" as an update to his landmark 1991 book, "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power" to capture changes in the oil industry. Full transcript and video of NewsHour interview available.
PBS NewsHour
Exxon Predicts Energy Future For World At 2040
By 2040, half of all cars will be hybrids or running on alternative fuels; energy demand will be flat for the developed world but will increase 60% for developing nations, and non-conventional oil sources will handily meet the demand of 110m barrels.
AP via Bloomberg Business Week
Can a Canadian Company Condemn Your Land?
TransCanada is trying to use eminent domain to obtain easements from unwilling landowners for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
The New York Times
North Dakota's Oil Boom
The Bakken formation, which lies under North Dakota and Montana, could contain almost 11 billion barrels of oil. Towns like Williston, ND are exploding in population and have the lowest unemployment in the country.
NPR
The Good & Bad News Of World Energy Consumption to 2030
A new report from BP projects world energy use for the next 20 years: decreased oil growth but more OPEC-dependent; increased coal, natural gas, and renewable usage; and a major growth in carbon emissions.
USA Today
Wasted Oil, By Design
This episode of public radio program 99% Invisible looks at oil, and how the way people move from work to home has been seemingly designed to waste fuel.
99% Invisible
Americans Driving at 2005 Levels
Americans are driving fewer miles than they were a year ago, despite an improving economy. Some say the American demand for oil will be low throughout the rest of this year.
USA Today
Toxic Suburbia
A 50-acre section of the Los Angeles suburb of Carson is contaminated with methane gas and benzene. Owners of the 285 homes in the area are left with few options.
Los Angeles Times
Dubai's New Metro Opens
A new rail system has opened in Dubai, becoming the world's longest fully automated, driverless metro system. But some wonder whether the system will see much use in the oil-rich Emirate.
Der Spiegel
Dwindling Resources in a World of 9 Billion
The population is expected to climb to 9 billion within the next 50 years. As a result, crucial natural resources will dwindle. This article looks at four that will be much harder to come by in the future.
Gizmag
To Re-Imagine Cities, Re-Imagine Urban Design
Oil is running out and the climate is changing. How this impacts cities will largely be determined by how the urban design field reacts.
Live Blogging: Urban Design After the Age of Oil Symposium
Fri, 11/07/2008 - 06:32
I'm in philadelphia for a few days to attend the symposium "Re-Imagining Cities: Urban Design After the Age of Oil". Along with a crew of notable writers and bloggers, I'll be writing live blog posts about the conference, all of which will be posted on the website of Next American City magazine. Tune in to their site to follow along.
This symposium has drawn hundreds of participants from around the globe to discuss the changes facing cities and communities as climate changes and resources diminish.
This symposium has drawn hundreds of participants from around the globe to discuss the changes facing cities and communities as climate changes and resources diminish.
Controversial Land Trade on Hold in Yukon Flats
A decision on whether or not to swap potentially oil-rich, protected land in the Yukon Flats with private wetlands will not be reached for another year. Appraisals will be underway to determine whether or not the controversial trade is fair.
Anchorage Daily News
Unprecedented Agreement Between Oil Company and Enviros
The agreement trades a massive open space donation and other terms for clearance to conduct exploratory drilling off the coast.
The Planning Report
