World

U.S. is 9th in List of Most Prosperous Countries

The Legatum Institute, a London think tank, has published a report ranking countries in terms of prosperity. The U.S. took a big hit for health care.

3 November 2009 - 2:00pm

Foreign Policy

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2 comments

Wind Power Gets Airborne

The motherlode of wind energy up, up in the air, say scientists. A handful of new technologies are being developed to harvest it at the source, roughly six miles up.

3 November 2009 - 5:00am

Miller-McCune

Starchitecture and Sustainability: Hope, Creativity, and Futility Collide in Contemporary Architecture

Can today's contemporary architects, schooled in modernism and invention, in fact incorporate the sort of green building materials and techniques that make a real difference? And does design really matter? Josh Stephens takes a look.

1 November 2009 - 10:41pm

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6 comments

How Architects Learn: The Debate

Geoff Manaugh at BLDBLG talks about the role of the architecture student. Should they be allowed create experimental designs, even when the field of practice is so narrow it is unlikely they'll ever be able to design like that again?

1 November 2009 - 1:00pm

BLDBLOG

Hearing Acoustics Before The Building Is Built

A new computer modeling technique called "auralization" does just that, turning architectural drawings into simulated spaces.

27 October 2009 - 1:00pm

ArchiTech

Emissions Impact of Biofuels Undercounted

A new report claims that the way the global warming impact of biofuels is measured leaves out the land use component of clearing land and growing crops.

27 October 2009 - 5:00am

The Washington Post

The Great Cities in History

A new book edited by John Julius Norwich with that title selects the 68 cities that have made the most impact on history. The Wall St. Journal has a review.

26 October 2009 - 1:00pm

The Wall St. Journal

What To Do With Unused Phone Booths

This project offers a new idea about how to make use of dead phone booths.

25 October 2009 - 1:00pm

Blade Diary

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1 comment

Parcel Map Data Added To Google Maps

GIS folks are Twittering about this new addition to Google Maps. Blogger Joe Francia talks to Michael Jones, Google's chief technology advocate, about what the new data means, and where it's coming from.

24 October 2009 - 7:00am

All Points Blog

The Real Inconvenient Truth: Global Land Use

Global warming is a problem, says climate scientist Jonathan Foley, but it's not the only one. The other major problem facing the global environment is a pattern of land use for agriculture that is grossly unsustainable.

23 October 2009 - 9:00am

Yale Environment 360

From Contrast to Continuity: A New Preservation Philosophy

With the emergence of new traditional design patterns among contemporary architects, the standards and rules that have defined historic preservation are becoming obsolete. Steven W. Semes calls on planners and designers to create a new ethic of harmonious intervention into historic settings.

22 October 2009 - 5:00am

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4 comments

Stretching Architectural Boundaries

Huffington Post highlights 11 astonishing architectural proposals from around the world [slideshow].

21 October 2009 - 9:00am

Huffington Post

Make Small Plans

In contrast to the classic Burnham plea, Andrew M. Manshel says that planning big often misses the essential nature of the urban experience.

20 October 2009 - 1:00pm

City Journal

Let's Try Cap-and-Trade on Babies

Not having babies is, arguably, the most effective way of limiting one's carbon footprint. Experts discuss ways to approach this touchy subject.

17 October 2009 - 1:00pm

Miller-McCune

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10 comments

Changing Behavior With Fun

Some excellent video illustrations of how including an element of fun can change people's behavior, including the 'World's Deepest' Trashcan.

15 October 2009 - 9:00am

thefuntheory.com

Wacky, Whimsical Buildings

This slideshow features colorful, bold buildings from around the world.

13 October 2009 - 1:00pm

Fast Company

Mega-Regions Rule the World

Richard Florida notes that there are only 40 significant mega-regions that drive the global economy, and are poised for faster recovery from the economic slowdown.

13 October 2009 - 5:00am

The Wall St. Journal

Ugliest Buildings in the World

Travel + Leisure Magazine picks their worst buildings ever, including a Michael Graves-designed office in Portland and the National Library of Belarus.

12 October 2009 - 2:00pm

Travel + Leisure