Environment

It's Alive! 5 of the World's Most Bionic Buildings

Cate St Hill examines the futuristic systems being employed by the most biologically advanced buildings in the world.

June 11, 2013 - Building Design

Flooding Inundates Central and Eastern Europe; Urban Development and Climate Change Blamed

Record floods are swelling major rivers and tributaries across Central and Eastern Europe; disrupting transportation, displacing thousands of people, and causing what is estimated to be several billion dollars of damage.

June 11, 2013 - The New York Times

Coal Mining and Power Station

4 Measures Could Help Stave Off the Worst Effects of Global Warming

A new report from the International Energy Agency has some sobering news about the planet's record setting carbon emissions. But it also identifies four policy recommendations that could help stave off warming in excess of the dreaded 2°C mark.

June 10, 2013 - The Washington Post

The Weight of Development: Could Shanghai be Sinking?

Shanghai and the Pudong District in particular have seen unprecedented development over the past 25 years. The soil the city is built upon, however, has begun to subside recently.

June 7, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

CEQA Reform Advances in CA Legislature, Likely to Become Law

A bill aimed to 'modernize' California's landmark environmental law passed the state's Senate by a vote of 39-0, and its chances of being signed into law appear strong. A bill to revive redevelopment advanced, but seems destined to be vetoed.

June 7, 2013 - California Planning & Development Report

Little-Noticed Rule Change May Be Big Statement of Obama's Climate Agenda

The DoE recently updated its energy-efficiency standards for microwaves. Big deal, right? Actually, observes Brad Plumer, by upping the 'social cost of carbon' used to calculate the benefits of the rule, the government has made a big shift.

June 6, 2013 - The Washington Post

In Key Ruling, Court Orders Study of Highway Expansion's Effect on Sprawl

A federal court has ruled that a proposed highway expansion said to be the largest single transportation project in Wisconsin history must consider regional impacts (on sprawl and transit-dependent populations) in its environmental analysis.

June 6, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Piecing Together a Central Park for the Entire United States

The American Prairie Foundation is piecing together 500,000 acres of privately owned land across the Great Plains to join with three million acres of public land in forming one of the world’s largest wildlife reserves.

June 5, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Oil and Ag Fight Over Prime California Farmland

What's the most productive way to utilize the fertile land that sits above California's vast Monterey Shale oil reserve? The environmental impacts of fracking on California's farmland could derail what promises to be an enormous oil boom.

June 5, 2013 - The New York Times

British Columbia Rejects Massive Northern Gateway Oil Pipeline

The rejection may ultimately doom the $6 billion pipeline to transport Alberta's oil sands crude west through British Columbia for export. Final word is reserved for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but many say an overturn would be highly unusual.

June 3, 2013 - CBC News

Visualizing Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A new infographic shows in elegant detail exactly how much individual sources and sectors contribute to global greenhouse gas emissions. Brad Plumer parses the data.

June 1, 2013 - The Washington Post

On the Waterfront in Post-Sandy New York

On Places, Tom Vanderbilt surveys the landscape and politics of New York City after Hurricane Sandy, focusing on both early response and long-range planning.

June 1, 2013 - Places Journal

Urbanism and the Landscape Architect

Even as the landscape becomes increasingly important to cities, landscape architects remain underrated as contributors to the urban realm. When is everyone else going to see what we already know?

May 30, 2013 - Mark Hough

Free NY/NJ Ferry Service For Bicyclists?

The epic, years-long battle for converting one Holland Tunnel tube to a bicycle/pedestrian-only facility may find compromise in this proposed free ticket voucher program for bicycle-toting ferry passengers.

May 29, 2013 - Ian Sacs

Phoenix Dust Storm

The Ten American Cities Most At Risk from Climate Change

Grist has compiled a list of the ten U.S. cities most likely to be affected by climate change.

May 27, 2013 - Grist

The Future of Vertical Urban Farming is Pink

Let's put aside those renderings of high-rise urban greenhouses with lush, vertical gardens. Vertical farming's future, instead, lies more practically in large, suburban "pinkhouses", says one expert.

May 26, 2013 - NPR

Does Delhi's Drive to be a World-Class City Doom Low-Income Communities?

A proposal for a vertical neighborhood in Delhi is long on height but short on insight, according to Greg Randolph of the American India Foundation. Is Delhi ‘poised to repeat the public housing mistakes of the West’?

May 23, 2013 - The Global Urbanist

Why Is it Hard to Find Places to Ride Out a Tornado in Oklahoma?

You might be surprised to learn that in the area famously known as 'Tornado Alley', underground shelters and safe rooms are relatively rare. Several reasons, from physical to financial to cultural constraints, conspire to leave residents vulnerable.

May 22, 2013 - The Atlantic

Obama Could Tackle Climate Change on His Own; But Will He?

With a reluctant Congress unwilling to act, and the signs of a warming planet multiplying, the Editorial Board of The New York Times urges President Obama to utilize executive actions to address climate change.

May 22, 2013 - The New York Times

Environmental and Transportation Challenges Await New L.A. Mayor

Whoever is victorious in today's election to choose L.A.'s next mayor, the celebrating may be short lived. Pressing needs to strengthen the city's water supply, maintain transit momentum, and relieve toxic hotspots await the city's next leader.

May 21, 2013 - KPCC

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.