The Independent

Aerial view of Gillespie Bridge with metal framing and black rock mesa in background in Gillespie, Arizona.

Gila River Canal Project Pairs Water Conservation With Solar Energy

Local leaders view the first solar panel-covered water canal in the Western Hemisphere as a ‘major win’ for Indigenous water sovereignty.

December 13, 2023 - The Independent

Queen Elizabeth

England Begins Second Lockdown to Protect the National Health Service

The day after Election Day in America, the U.K. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to impose a 4-week lockdown in England to ensure that nation's prized healthcare system doesn't collapse due to treating mounting coronavirus infections.

November 8, 2020 - The Independent

Climate Change Conference

Implementing the Paris Climate Agreement in Katowice, Poland

Representatives from nearly 200 nations have been attending the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Katowice since Dec. 2 to work on implementing the 2015 Paris climate agreement. Scheduled to end Friday, it will be extended two days due to discord.

December 17, 2018 - The Independent

Earthquake damage

When the Earth Turns to Liquid

A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Sept. 25, followed by a massive tsunami. Soil liquefaction caused by the tremor resulted in 1,700 homes being "swallowed" as the soil shifted. Deaths exceeded 1,400 on Oct. 3.

October 5, 2018 - The Independent

Suburban California

Legal Strategies Shift on the Front Lines of the Bay Area's Housing Debate

The threat of a lawsuit by the California Renters Legal Advocacy has the city of Dublin rethinking a housing proposal that would add 220 units near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station.

January 22, 2018 - The Independent

Champs-Elysees

Less and Less of Paris Open to Cars

Paris Mayor Anne Hildalgo announced a new plan to further restrict cars and trucks from the city center.

January 12, 2017 - The Independent

Ça c'est Paris

Today in Paris: Half of the Private Cars in the City Banned from the Road

Paris today made its first use of a drastic plan to improve air quality in the city: ban half of the cars on the road. The ban could continue tomorrow if the current air pollution alert does not improve.

March 23, 2015 - The Independent

Two Brothers Walk to School

5 Good Reasons Why Children Should Walk To School

Susan Elkin points to alarmingly low statistics on the number of children who walk to school, especially when compared with historic rates. She lays out some “blindingly obvious” and “child-centered” reasons why this trend needs to be reversed.

January 19, 2013 - The Independent

Einstein's Bike Shop

Bicycling: Good for the Brain and the Body

The physical benefits of cycling are well known, but researchers are just beginning to understand how riding a bike benefits our brains, writes Simon Usborne.

December 22, 2012 - The Independent

Friday Funny: "Our House, in the Middle of Our Street"

In China, the concerns of the few are unlikely to stand in the way of progress for the many. This has been made abundantly clear in Zhejiang province where a new motorway has been built around the home of a couple that has refused to move.

November 23, 2012 - The Independent

Can a Long Shot Lawsuit End Nairobi's Forced Evictions

Forty residents of Nairobi's Mukuru slum have petitioned "some of Kenya's most powerful individuals, companies and banks, demanding rights to the land they live on and an end to forced evictions." They've already succeeded in halting some evictions.

September 27, 2012 - The Independent

English Cities Gain Historic New Powers

In what Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg calls a "dramatic power shift", England's largest cities have gained new powers to control their economies and transportation, reports Sam Lister.

July 6, 2012 - The Independent

Green Building Takes Hold in Britain

As the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) hands out its most recent awards, Sarah Morrison chronicles the mainstreaming of green building in Britain.

April 15, 2012 - The Independent

Where It Pays To Be A Woman

To mark the upcoming anniversary of International Women's Day, Sarah Morrison investigates the best and worst places around the world to be a woman.

March 5, 2012 - The Independent

One of Britain's Most Important Architectural Treasures Gets Rescued

Robin Stummer reports on the fate of Britain's greatest surviving historic wooden building, a huge medieval barn that had suffered from years of neglect.

February 10, 2012 - The Independent

No New Skyscrapers, Says Planning Chief

London's chief planning officer says that after the current sequence of skyscrapers is built, it is likely that "...we will not see new ones planned."

October 30, 2011 - The Independent

Brazilian Billboard Ban Under Pressure

The ban on billboard advertising in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is showing pressure cracks, as continued opposition to the citywide policy has some lawmakers considering a repeal.

November 10, 2009 - The Independent

The Road to South Africa's World Cup

South Africa is gearing up to host the 2010 World Cup next June. As it prepares to be the tournament's first African host, the country faces a number of hurdles.

September 14, 2009 - The Independent

U.S. Cities Fare Poorly in World Livability Ranking

In terms of global urban livability, American cities are not so hot. The highest ranking city, Honolulu, comes in at 29 in the results of the Worldwide Quality of Living Survey.

May 5, 2009 - The Independent

Water Threat: 'Bigger Than Financial Crisis'

As the World Water Forum convenes in Istanbul, two new reports warn that water shortages will elevate to a global crisis within the next two decades, creating a problem even bigger than the current economic crisis.

March 18, 2009 - The Independent

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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