MIT

San Diego Gaslamp District

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.

June 13, 2018 - Bisnow

Satellite Image

It's Now Safe to Link Hurricane Precipitation and Climate Change

A new study from MIT makes a clear connection between the intensity of rainfall caused by Hurricane Harvey last August in Texas and climate change, concluding that the likelihood of stronger downpours is greatly increasing.

November 17, 2017 - The Washington Post

Boston Bus

Boston's Data-Driven Bus System Makeover

MIT's Transit Lab created a ridership model called Origin Destination Transfer (ODX) that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is using to make incremental changes to the region's bus system.

April 18, 2017 - CityLab

Natural Gas

Can 'Clean Coal Technology' Be Cost-Effective for Natural Gas?

Nations have sunk billions of dollars into carbon capture and storage for coal plants and have little to show for it. A new natural gas demonstration plant outside Houston is confident it is up to the task — without using federal grants.

April 14, 2017 - NPR

MIT campus

Free Wi-Fi Network Launches Around Kendall Square in Cambridge

It wasn't easy, but a broad swath of Cambridge, Massachusetts will now have free Wi-Fi Internet. The effort required a partnership between several institutions and organizations to come to fruition.

November 30, 2016 - MIT News

Abu Dhabi

Planning for an Eco-Friendly City in the Desert

Building a new eco-friendly city in the middle of a country so reliant on fossil fuels is no easy task, but development is well underway for Masdr City to rise in the UAE

June 6, 2016 - Public Square

Electronic Waste

Activists Track America's Electronic Waste

When a watchdog group partnered with MIT to install trackers on a batch of e-waste, the results were sobering. Much of the haul left the country, ending up in Asian junkyards where unknowing workers are exposed to toxic substances.

May 16, 2016 - KUOW

Hyperloop One Hails its 'Kitty Hawk' Moment in the Nevada Desert

PBS kicks off its new science and technology series with a look at just what happened in the desert with MIT's Hyperloop team. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien likens the week's events more to the "glider moment" preceding Kitty Hawk.

May 13, 2016 - PBS NewsHour

United States from Space

DataUSA: An Intuitive Tool for Public Data

A collaboration between Deloitte, Datawheel, and MIT has produced an intuitive aesthetically-pleasing gathering point for public data in the United States. Specific locations and industries boast easy-to-read profiles.

May 2, 2016 - CityLab

A New, Flexible System for Congestion Pricing

Researchers at MIT have developed a new, flexible congestion pricing system.

September 25, 2014 - Wired

How Streets and Social Justice Intersect

A look at how streets affect health, social interaction, and economic development by Marissa Reilly, a Berkeley-based urban planner and Lillian Jacobson, a master’s candidate at MIT.

August 13, 2014 - UrbDeZine

irrigation

What Urban Planners Fail to Grasp in Climate Action Plans

Climate mitigation and adaptation have become de rigeur aspects of urban planning for most cities, according to results from MIT's international Urban Climate Change Governance Survey. What's missing in most plans is the link to economic development.

June 5, 2014 - MIT News

Stick With Diesel, Climate Experts Tell Truckers and Transit Agencies

So much for switching from diesel fuel to natural gas to protect the environment. A new report concludes that it is best to stick with oil-based fuels because methane leakage from natural gas is much greater than currently estimated.

February 18, 2014 - The New York Times - U.S.

Will the "Copenhagen Wheel" Revolutionize Cycling?

Developed by researchers at MIT in consultation with representatives from the Danish capital, the Copenhagen Wheel is a new technology that transforms your bike into a "smart electric-hybrid".

December 19, 2013 - posichange

Are We Designing the Wrong Solutions to America's Health Problems?

From encouraging physical activity to improving access to healthy food, planners and designers are increasingly tackling America's public health challenges. But what if cars, suburbs, and food deserts aren't to blame for our unhealthy lifestyles?

December 17, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Accidents Not the Leading Cause of Vehicle-Related Deaths

A new study by MIT researchers indicates that a greater number of premature deaths in the United States can be attributed to auto pollution than auto collisions.

October 17, 2013 - Next City

America's Campuses Foment Transportation Revolution

Angie Schmitt looks at how America's institutions of higher learning are embracing progressive transportation demand management strategies to cut costs, expand their footprints, and encourage healthier lifestyles.

April 19, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Prominent Urbanists Face Off in SimCity Battle Royale

After a decade of waiting, today's the day planning geeks have been waiting for. SimCity has arrived! To celebrate, Fast Company has assembled "some of the most interesting urban thinkers...to see who would make the best fake metropolis."

March 5, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Fuel Efficiency Standards Vs. Gas Tax Increases: No Contest for Reducing Emissions

In this op-ed, MIT climate research scientist Valerie J. Karplus contrasts raising CAFE standards with gas taxes. While the former may be more politically expedient, she shows how it is less effective in reducing emissions, oil reliance and driving.

February 26, 2013 - The New York Times

MIT Shows its Love for 'Advanced Urbanism'

This week, reports Orhan Ayyüce, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced the launch of "a major new research center focused on the planning, design, construction and retrofitting of urban environments for the 21st century."

February 14, 2013 - Archinect

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Top Books

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The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.