AlterNet
Why Peak Oil Will Bring us Closer
In this excerpt from his new book "Eaarth", Bill McKibben discusses how such efforts as the Transition movement and farmer's markets are tapping into our need for neighbors.
Revisiting Sites of Eco-Disaster
Stephanie Rogers revisits 7 of the greatest environmental disasters (including the 2008 TVA coal sludge spill) and finds that while they may have left the headlines, serious problems remain.
How to Solve America's Water Crisis
Robert Glennon, author of the new book "Unquenchable" outlines the nature of America's emerging water crisis, and how ending water subsidies could encourage efficiencies and conservation.
Moving from Sustainability to "Transition"
In response to the threats of peak oil and climate change, thousands of people around the world are engaging in local "Transition" initiatives to promote resilience and "reskilling" to prepare for the expected "energy descent."
Feeding the Hungry from the Backyard
One solution to urban food security is surprisingly simple: gathering fruit from backyard trees.
Kunstler: Rebuild the Passenger Rail System
In his forward to James McCommons' new book, Waiting on a Train: The Embattled Future of Passenger Rail Service, James Howard Kunstler lays out the case for investing in a revival of passenger rail.
Green Apple?
Tara Lohan reviews David Owen's new book, Green Metropolis, which extols the ecological virtues of Manhattan. In her opinion, Owen doesn't ask the right questions and ignores some inconvenient facts.
In Defense of ACORN
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now has a remarkable record of grassroots anti-poverty and community development campaigns, writes David Morris.
Urban Foragers Find Food in the City
Forage SF promotes the idea of eating uncultivated food found growing naturally, and even sells boxes of "wild food." Reporter Tara Lohan joins a forager, or "freegan", as they collect goodies from the streets.
Lovelock: It's Too Late -- But Some Will Survive
In this review of James Lovelock's new book "The Vanishing Face of Gaia", Alexander Zaitchik explains the author's view that, while nothing can be done to stop climate change, there is reason to believe that some form of civilization will survive.
California Drying Up
Climate models show that California -- the source of one third of America's food supply -- is running out of its reliable water supply.
Natural Gas Extraction a Threat to NYC Water Supply?
A water- and chemical-intensive process to mine natural gas may pose a threat to the watershed supplying drinking water to 14 million people.
Prepare Now for Altered Coastlines
A disturbing new report on sea-level rise projections for California warns that the state must start planning now for the anticipated flooding of its coastline, which could wipe out over $100 billion worth of built infrastructure.
Can Dubai Survive?
Beneath the shiny allure of Dubai lies a litany of human rights and environmental abuses so severe that collapse cannot be far away, writes Johann Hari.
Are We Too "Stupid" to Save Ourselves?
A new British documentary looks back from the year 2055 to show how humanity gradually destroyed the planet.
In Troubled Times, Roommates Becoming the Norm
More urban professionals are finding the only way to make housing affordable is to live with roommates.
Real Estate Bust, Part II
America is not just overspent, it is over-malled, and the next wave of foreclosures will hit retail and other commercial real estate.
Development Threatens Florida's Ecosystems
Environmentalists worry that development pressures -- even for higher-density transit-friendly communities -- are eroding Florida's complex natural environments.
Grow Your Own
In this excerpt from their new book, The Urban Homestead, authors Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen point out all the ways city dwellers can move away from industrial agriculture.
Will America's 'Worst Environmental Disaster' Mark a Move Away from Coal?
The massive flood of coal ash sludge in Tennessee may be the most serious environmental disaster in the nation's history and promises to be a flashpoint for opponents of coal power. [Includes slideshow of spill damage].
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
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
