Environment

Now Unoccupied, LA City Hall Lawn to Get Made Over

There's no budget for anything over-the-top, but it is an opportunity to bring in drought-resistant landscaping. The Department of Recreation and Parks is evaluating ideas.

January 3, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

European Study: Cycling, Not Electric Cars Are Key To Emissions Reduction

Emissions would be reduced 25% if Europeans adopted the Danish cycling habit, a new study reports. The ECF warns politicians it would be a mistake to invest heavily in technological solutions like electric cars.

January 2, 2012 - The Guardian

Interview With (ex) Republican Congressman Fighting Climate Change

NPR's Guy Raz re-interviews South Carolina Congressman Bob Inglis, one of only two Republicans not re-elected. Interviewed last year after losing his primary due to the Tea Party, NPR wanted an update on his activities and views on climate change.

December 28, 2011 - NPR: All Things Considered

Anticipating the Impacts of Extreme Weather On World's Major Cities

A new report from the UK's Met Office Hadley Centre for Climate Change offers specific impact projections for 24 countries. CNN offers a slide show of recent calamities.

December 27, 2011 - CNN

Jane Jacobs Kicked Off Intertwined Revolutions Of Early 1960s

1961 marked an extraordinary year for urbanism, with the publication of Death and life of Great American Cities, and also foreshadowed two other intellectual and social revolutions led by women: environmentalism and feminism.

December 27, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

NewsHour Interview With 'Quest' Author Daniel Yergin

Noted energy expert Daniel Yergin has written "The Quest" as an update to his landmark 1991 book, "The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power" to capture changes in the oil industry. Full transcript and video of NewsHour interview available.

December 25, 2011 - PBS NewsHour

Top 2011 Design Milestones for the Public Good

Archinect's John Cary compiles a comprehensive list of most forward-thinking designs in 2011 that have impacted people's lives, and the way they interact with the built environment.

December 25, 2011 - Archinect

EPA's $9.6 Billion Holiday Gift To Environmentalists

The EPA issues its first national standards for mercury pollution from power plants, requiring a dramatic reduction of pollutants 90% by 2016.

December 22, 2011 - The New York Times

Maine Nixes LEED Certification for State Buildings

Governor Paul Lepage of Maine has banned the use of LEED certification in state buildings. Lloyd Alter at Treehugger says it's all about the timber industry.

December 21, 2011 - Treehugger

Environmental Devastation From Russia's Oil Drilling Considered Routine

It's on the scale of a Deepwater Horizon spill every 2 months - except that it's considered the cost of doing business. Aging pipes, lax oversight and inclement weather all combine to make an estimated 5 million tons of annual spillage.

December 20, 2011 - AP via Yahoo Finance

Parking Garage to be Topped with Urban Farm

The City of Vancouver is building a 6,000 sq. ft. greenhouse atop a downtown parking garage as part of its goal to become the greenest city in the world by 2020.

December 19, 2011 - The Vancouver Sun

What Happens To All That Trash?

In New York, according to Urban Omnibus, "Each week, approximately 64,000 tons of household and institutional waste are collected. ... But public awareness of what happens to that trash once it leaves the curb is limited."

December 15, 2011 - Urban Omnibus

The Benefits of Urban Forests

Poor air quality has led to an explosion of a health problems among vulnerable populations, claims the American Society of Landscape Architects. This video explains how urban forests provide environmental benefits to densely populated cities.

December 15, 2011 - American Society of Lanscape Architects

How Planning is Like Growing Tomatoes

An organic system is rarely the sum of its parts. Nothing demonstrates this as clearly as sinking your teeth into a store-bought tomato, writes Ben Brown.

December 15, 2011 - PlaceShakers

European Cyclist's Federation (ECF) Study on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emmissions

In the fight against climate change, it is still unclear how, according to SustainableCitiesCollective, "the world’s nations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve limited temperature rise." A recent ECF study sheds light on the topic.

December 14, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Folding Bikes Gain Popularity in Brazil

Maria Fernanda Cavalcanti, a resident of Brazil, writes that folding bicycles "...have been catching the attention of urban cyclists everywhere."

December 14, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

NYC Gets to Work on "Green Zoning" Rules

New York has created new zoning rules, now officially under review for approval, that combat the current zoning's sometimes impeding effect on green building.

December 14, 2011 - Crain's New York Business

Washington DC Imagines Itself Without Transit

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is celebrating its 35th anniversary and is finding ways to ascertain exactly what the agency has brought to the region.

December 12, 2011 - The Atlantic

Even or Odd? Rome Restricts Car Use

With pollution levels becoming dangerous in Rome, Italy, the government is taking a hard line on driving. In late November, only cars with even-numbered license plates were allowed to drive in the city, with odd plates the next.

December 12, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Ambitious Effort to Urbanize India

The Indian government is betting big with simultaneously building a massive high speed freight corridor between Delhi & Mumbai as well the physical infrastructure for 24 new cities that will become an industrial corridor.

December 9, 2011 - Global Post

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.