Environment
Too Fast or Too Slow? Environmental Review of NY/NJ Bridge Project Criticized
Though it's been expedited, the cumbersome environmental review process for a plan to raise the deck of the Bayonne Bridge has New York area leaders fuming over impediments to economic development. Others contend the review is being rushed.
U.S. Oil Boom to Reduce World Prices While Global Coal Consumption Surges
Gas prices will drop due to surging U.S. oil production according to an U.S. Energy Dept. report. Another report from the International Energy Agency points to surging carbon dioxide emissions, not from oil but from coal burning, largely from China.
Global Warming Becomes Hot Spot for U.S. State Department
While secretary of state John Kerry has been jetting around the world pushing for peace in the world's hot spots, the State Department has been undergoing a top-down pivot to address a topic no less daunting: global warming.
China's Next Environmental Disaster: Polluted Soil
China's horrendously polluted air has made international headlines of late. Though its extents are less obvious, the country's mounting soil pollution crisis carries equally serious ramifications.
D.C. Devises How to Stay Dry During Future Floods
Many of America's national treasures sit in low lying areas of D.C. that are vulnerable to extreme floods (it was built atop a tidal plain, after all). With such floods likely to increase, planners and engineers are devising protection plans.
Top 10 City Scandals of 2013
As we bid farewell to 2013, here are the Top 10 scandals that cast a negative light on some global cities this past year.
Planetizen's Most Popular Pieces of 2013
We're looking forward to another stimulating year of news, commentary, and professional development. But before the calendar turns to 2014, we wanted to take a look back at our most popular blog posts, exclusive articles, and news items from 2013.
Victims of China's Air Pollution: Lung Cancer in 8-Year-Olds
Though smoking is on the decline in China, lung cancer rates are rising. Twenty-year olds have joined seniors as likely patients, attributed to the toxic clouds containing particulates that regularly envelope China's eastern cities.
Petroleum's Coke Problem Plagues Chicago
Petroleum coke or petcoke, similar to coal, is a nasty though salable byproduct of the oil refining process. Produced from refining tar sands crude in Indiana refineries, it is stored in huge piles in Chicago, blowing dust in the Southeast Side.
5 Reasons Copenhagen is the EU's Green Capital
Next month, Copenhagen starts its year as European Green Capital. We run down five of the reasons it won the title -- with no references to cycling or Jan Gehl.
Colombia's Carbon Neutral Christmas Wonderland
Medellín's spectacular holiday lights display draws thousands of tourists to Colombia's second-largest city every year. Few visitors are likely to realize that the energy intensive displays are carbon neutral.
Icelandic "Elf Lobby" Tries to Halt Highway Project
Concerned that a proposed highway from the Alftanes peninsula to the Reykjavik suburbs will disturb Icelandic elf habitat, an elf lobbying group is joining forces with environmentalists to try to stop the project.
"Catastrophic" Ice Storm Freezes Toronto, Mayor
A severe ice storm struck southern Ontario and the northern U.S. over the weekend, delivering prolonged power outages and disrupting holiday travel. Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was allegedly unreachable after the storm.
When Driving Wanes, Local Economies Gain
Want to boost your local economy and produce significant environmental dividends at the same time? Just drive one mile less per day says a new report from CEOs for Cities.
Saving More Than Water: Big Benefits from Green Infrastructure
A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council demonstrates that commercial investment in green infrastructure, particularly in stormwater management, can lead to substantial financial benefits for both owners and tenants.
2013 Started a New Chapter in L.A.'s Story
Will 2013 be remembered as the year that Los Angeles embraced a new urban identity? Cultural, political, and planning and design-related events over the past year seem to suggest the city is experiencing "an urban reawakening".
Evaluating the Impact of Conservation Subdivision Implementation
Aslıgül Göçmen examines the environmental impact of conservation subdivision design.
To Beat the Heat, L.A. Mandates Cool Roofs
In case you haven't heard, L.A. gets a lot of sun. While this is great for getting a tan, it presents a challenge for mitigating the heat island effect and rising temperatures. New legislation requires that the roofs of new homes help beat the heat.
What's Blocking Seattle's Tunnel-Boring Behemoth?
Is it a giant rock? What about a sunken ship? Beneath Seattle's waterfront, a mysterious object has halted Bertha, the world's largest tunnel-boring machine. Stumped engineers are unclear on how long a highway tunneling project will be suspended.
Does South Portland Oilsands Ban Spell Doom for Keystone XL "Plan B"?
South Portland, Maine's moratorium on shipments of Alberta oilsands products may signal a tough road ahead for a proposed alternative to the Keystone XL pipeline.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
