Energy
A Look at Houston and its Environmental Impact
This report from NPR looks at Houston's growth pattern, and the evolution of a city that at once provides a high quality of life but also creates a big environmental impact.
Sustainability is a Lifestyle, Not an Accessory
Witold Rybczynski bemoans the green movement's emphasis on sustainability measure that treat environmental action as a process of accessorizing rather than changing lifestyles.
Sustainability Solutions in the City
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 Hawaiian Energy Islands
The islands of Hawaii are proving to be a laboratory for renewable energy projects, playing host to a variety of pilot projects that could end up paving the way for the rest of the country's transition to an energy menu with more renewable options.
The Two Paths to Sustainability
Achieving sustainability can take one of two paths, according to Richard Carson: centralized or decentralized policy. Choosing one will be crucial.
Manhattan is the Greenest City
A review of GREEN METROPOLIS: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability by David Owen, expanding on his groundbreaking essay in the New Yorker in 2004 on why New York is the greenest city around.
The World's 'First Smart Grid City'
Boulder, Colorado, has become the world's "first fully functioning smart grid enabled city".
Energy from the Landfill
Landfills produce a lot of methane gas, one of the main greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. In an effort to both reduce that impact and responsibly reuse the gas, some municipalities are converting it into energy.
The Solar Co-op
In Brighton, Colorado, solar panels on one person's farm could be built by an investment from another local, creating the first solar co-operative in the U.S.
More Renewable Energy = More Acreage
As the push for renewable energy increases, The Nature Conservancy points out that renewables need a lot of land to work and could cause "energy sprawl."
U.S. Oil Consumption On The Decline...Permanently
For political, technological, and even demographic as well as economic reasons, don't expect American oil consumption to increase over 2007 levels. $3 gas is here to stay, and the days of the petrol-gulping SUVs and guzzlers may be numbered.
TRB Report Evaluates Densification & VMT Reduction
A new Transportation Research Board study examines the relationship between land use and carbon emissions - specifically reduction of vehicle miles traveled resulting from densification and the shape of new growth to come.
Is the Local Food Movement Misguided?
Eating local is in vogue, as the environmental impacts of industrialized agriculture surface. But is eating local really the right response? One author says maybe not.
Kansas' 'Green Impact Zone'
Director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion, Jr. visited Kansas City on Tuesday to visit the site of the city's new "Green Impact Zone". The inner-city Zone will be a laboratory for energy-saving techniques.
A 'Feasible' Engineering Solution to Global Warming
A new study from the UK Royal Society has determined that geo-engineering techniques are technically feasible approaches to address high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting global warming.
Buildings That Are Green But Not Energy-Efficient
LEED-certified buildings may be constructed with little energy, but some are just as energy-intensive as non "green" buildings once they're in use. This disconnect is prompting the U.S. Green Building Council to change its rules.
When Going Green Is Less Important Than Saving Green
A new HVAC system for a building in Minnesota that was expected to meet high environmental standards was going to come in at almost three times its originally estimated costs. So city officials are delaying.
Europe's Plan to Turn Sahara into Solar Power Source
Significant interest and investment has descended on a plan to create vast solar power plants in the Sahara Desert to power Europe, but the challenges are great, says Reuters.
Op-ed in NYT Claims Peak Oil is Bad Science
Energy consultant Michael Lynch argues that there are upwards of 10 trillion barrels of oil out there, as opposed to the 2 trillion that peak oil proponents recognize.
Renewable Energy Goes Small and Wide
Small scale hydroelectricity projects are popping up all over the country, especially in remote and environmentally sensitive places.
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
