Tim Halbur

The State of Connecticut will enact a new green building code in January, and builders are already calling it "awkward" and "unworkable".

When Chris Steins approached me with his idea to write a kids book about urban planning, I was a little skeptical. We had gotten a hold of a book from 1952 called <em>Neighbor flap foot. The City Planning Frog</em>, by Bill Ewald, Jr. and Merle Henrickson, and to be generous, it wasn’t fit for a modern audience. Here’s a sample: <br /> <br /> <blockquote> “Did you know that there is a special rule from City Hall to make sure each house has plenty of light and air, Mickey?” the wise frog asked. <br /> “No, I haven’t heard about that.”<br /> “Well, there is. Blue Nose told me about it,” answered Flap Foot, hopping about to limber up his stiffened legs. “It’s is called <em>zoning.</em> It is a good rule, like brushing your teeth, only this rule is for people who build buildings.”<br /> </blockquote>

Streetcars are a better option than Vancouver's proposed 2.8 billion subway, says Prof. Patrick Condon of the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC.

The State of Maryland has created a new internet-based mapping system, which it hopes will help target conservation funds.