The Guardian

Swedish retailer Ikea has announced the availability of 90 pre-fabricated eco-freindly homes, complete with a plot of land in the English town of Gateshead. The house-land combos start at $200,000, and preference is given to low-income buyers.

World-renowned environment experts have proposed a system of huge tubes placed in the world's oceans that would cycle nutrients to encourage booms in the population of algae -- organisms that naturally consume and sequester carbon.

More and more people are ranking New York and London at the top of the list of cool cities. But will London move ahead of front-runner New York to become the coolest city of the 21st Century?

The quality of the world's soil is rapidly diminishing and many scientists are concerned that by 2050 there will not be enough arable land to grow the food to feed the steadily growing population.

This article from the Guardian looks at the feasibility of putting in place a recently-announced proposal to make Britain carbon-neutral by 2050.

Politicians in England looking for ways to comply with a nationwide goal of carbon-neutrality by 2050 have proposed a phase-out of gas-fueled cars by the year 2040.

Are Americans ready to shed their preference for oversized homes? With new regulations in the pipeline, and sustainability all the rage, opponents of McMansions certainly hope so.

Architects are using the online virtual reality world of Second Life to create elaborate and expensive 3D models of historic architecture and extravagant homes -- and many people are buying them.

In exchange for a discount on oil for London's bus system, city transit officials will lend their expertise to the city of Caracas, Venezuela, in an effort to reduce the city's crippling congestion.

Mukesh Ambani, India's richest man, has plans to build a 570-foot, 27-story skyscraper in Mumbai as a home for his six-person family, a stark contrast to the city's many crowded slums. Some planners predict similar skyscraper projects will follow.

A German tour operator has purchased the entirety of a village in Tuscany with plans to turn it into a mega-resort for vacationing Europeans. Many in the village were upset at the sale, which they say will destroy the local character.

The British government has approved rules that lay the foundation for pay-as-you-go road pricing pilot programs. Critics worry the rules preface national control over the controversial systems.

Officials in England propose a massive reorganization of the country's planning system, including the creation of an independent commission that would be charged with approving major infrastructure projects.

Transportation engineers in Rome have uncovered a hotbed of buried ancient Roman artifacts as they dig tunnels for a planned underground train system.

The supply of housing is being overpowered by demand in England, and government officials are hoping to establish measures that would ease the process of building new homes and increase the amount of affordable housing.

Mayor Livingstone set forth a bold, detailed plan to reduce London's greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2025. However, many sectors are outside the city's scope, such as an increase aviation emissions, and a nationwide price on the carbon pollution.

Responding to a report by British economist Nicholas Stern, a recent article in the Guardian outlines a 10 point plan for taking action on climate change without "bringing civilization crashing down."

Architect and urban planner Andres Duany has been hired to plan a new town near Inverness, Scotland -- one that he assures will not resemble Seaside.

The United Kingdom's major rail company is expecting a 30% increase in freight traffic over the next 10 years, and ideas to help cope with the increase include double-decker commuter trains and altered routes.

Joe Massaro simply wants to build an unrealized design for a spectacular Frank Lloyd Wright house. Along the way, he is learning that the merits of posthumous architect are controversial.