Guardian

This piece from the Guardian looks at a handful of projects and ideas that are emphasizing the importance of sustainable metropolitan areas in an age of diminishing resources and environmental devastation.

The Brazilian government has just approved a measure that would grants legal land rights to squatters in the Amazon.

A new 350,000-person eco-city is being planned in China, this time with cooperation from Singapore. Planners are hopeful that it can serve as a sustainable model for development in countries with high population growth.

If the government bails out banks, it also better put aside money for structural reform that ensures the proper valuation of property. According to Elena Panaritis, a housing market driven by speculation catalyzed the recession in the first place.

More than 20 million Chinese who had migrated to cities for work have been forced to return to the rural countryside as urban jobs dry up.

Fighting global warming could be as simple as a paint job -- a global, sun-reflecting, white-wash paint job, according to scientist Hashem Akbari.

The downturn in the economy has hurt the auto industry, leaving many cars unsold. Storage of these cars is becoming a problem for many automakers.

Recently approved plans to build a third runway at Heathrow International Airport mean the village of Sipson will be completely paved over. As a result, villagers have become activists, and they discuss their efforts in this video.

The new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad embodies all of the negative connotations of the American presence in Iraq and provides an example of how not to build an embassy, according to Jonathan Glancey.

The eccentric megaprojects keep coming in Dubai, leaving some to question the environmental wisdom of so much development in a notoriously water-poor desert.

The economic recession will mean tough times for architects, who saw jobs cut by more than 40% during the last slump. Many in the field are wondering whether many architects will survive the current situation.

The UK's "eco-towns" are feeling the hurt of the current economic situation, with only one or two likely to move ahead.

Many cities see new iconic buildings as a major element in recreating themselves into distinctive places. But if every city has distinctive buildings, the distinctiveness is diminished. This commentary argues for new revitalization ideas.

Urban areas are filled with cars, and this creates an unsafe environment for children. This commentary argues that officials need to regain their faith in the power of planning to address the issue.

Floodplain development has proven time and time again to be big trouble when heavy rains come. But in Britain, that's not stopping it.