Energy
The Car Reconsidered
When most people use their cars in urban settings, what sort of vehicle is optimal? MIT's Media Lab asks the question, in their quest to invent the next generation of personal mobility.
Illinois Opens Door to New Nuclear Plants
State legislators in Illinois have lifted a 23-year ban on building nuclear plants within the state.
Fossil Fuels Getting Massive Federal Subsidies, Renewables Not So Much
President Obama has proposed eliminating federal subsidies for fossil fuels in 2011, but for now they're still a $72 billion piece of the pie. Solar, wind and geothermal? $12.2 billion.
A Green Mega Mansion?
Approved plans for a 10,000 square foot mansion in Berkeley, California have been classified "green" by the city's environmental rating system. Neighbors and environmentalists, however, say the house is hardly an environmental model.
'Smart Meter' System Not Popular With New York Landlords
In an effort to track and reduce energy use, large buildings in New York City have been eligible for a system that monitors energy use by the hour. But few building owners have signed up.
Harvard Report: Gas Taxes Not Vehicle Credits Necessary To Reduce Emissions
$7 gas is necessary according to a new report if transportation emissions are to be reduced to EPA targets by 2020. What's more, providing tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicles would backfire. The report recommends steep gas tax increases.
Putting Good Energy with the Bad
Facing resistance when siting green energy projects like wind turbines, energy companies are considering brownfields like the Leviathan Mine in California's Alpine County.
The Complexity of Carbon Reduction in Planning
Warren Karlenzig delves into the unique challenges of reducing carbon in cities, where efforts may be misplaced. Should your city focus on green building, traffic emissions or water treatment?
O.C. Homeowners Sued for Removing Lawn
In Orange, California, city codes require that front yards be 40% landscaping. After considerately adding drought-resistant plants and bark to save water, the city sued an Orange couple.
Paying People Not to Use Energy
It's an idea being used in Idaho and other areas with heavy energy use at peak times like midday air conditioning: energy companies are paying people to power down during max loads.
A Breakthrough in Desalinization?
Desalinization is a costly process because of the massive electricity needed to make it work. A Canadian startup believes it can cut that cost by 80% with a thermo-ionic process.
Urban Wind Power
A small manufacturer of wind turbines in Colorado Springs, Colorado is ramping up to become the city's first renewable-energy company, specializing in small wind systems for urban homes.
Sustainable Urban Farming Through Aquaponics
Aquaponics offer urbanites a new way to farm sustainably in space- and resource-poor areas.
Neighborhood Nuclear
Small-scale nuclear reactors could be a new, cheap way to provide power for neighborhoods. But their inherent controversy remains.
Olympic Village Named LEED Platinum Neighborhood
The Olympic Village in Vancouver's Southeast False Creek has earned a platinum rating in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system.
Green Dream Put to the Test
Boulder Colorado has tried peer pressure, free weatherization services, and intense publicity, but so far, voluntary efforts to increase energy efficiency have yielded mediocre results.
Cities Prepare for Electric Cars
San Francisco, Portland, and San Diego lead the charge to ensure everything from power grids to building codes are prepared for arrival of electric cars.
Revitalizing a City With Technology
The town of Holyoke, Massachusetts has hired Cisco to create a technology-led urban revitalization plan.
Maryland Envisions Offshore Wind Economy
Wind energy could generate two-thirds of the electricity people in Maryland currently use according to a new report funded by the Abell Foundation. It calls for installation of 2900 turbines far enough offshore so landlubbers can't see them.
Initiative Underway To Suspend California's Global Warming Act
California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or AB 32, is known throughout the U.S. as being the landmark state legislation that addresses climate change. It is the target of an initiative that aims to suspend it unless unemployment drops.
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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
