Environment

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

Public Parks to Cover Highways in Hamburg

The City of Hamburg, Germany is planning on building elevated public parks on sections of the to-be-expanded A7 (Highway 7), which is considered one of the most important north-south connectors in Germany.

December 9, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

HUD Announces Sustainability Grant Winners

The 27 communities and regional planning organizations selected will receive a total $96 million to achieve their economic and environmental goals.

December 9, 2011 - Smart Planet

Urban Parks Go to The Dogs

According to a study by the non-profit Trust for Public Land, reporter Haya El Nasser says that dog parks are becoming the fastest-growing of city parks nationwide.

December 8, 2011 - USA Today

Huge Jump In CO2 Emissions Reported For 2010

As delegates from 191 nations gather in Durban, South Africa to tackle climate change, a new report shows the largest increase in carbon emissions, and the greatest percentage increase since 2003. Coal combustion accounts for more than half the gain.

December 6, 2011 - The New York Times - Environment

Regional Planners Sued for Promoting Sprawl

The Cleveland National Forest Foundation is suing SANDAG over a $200 billion transportation plan that purportedly only promotes sprawl through freeway extensions.

December 4, 2011 - KPBS

Best Smart Growth Projects in America

This year, the Environmental Protection Agency looked at "articulate" city plans that aimed for a more sustainable future. There were five plans across that nation that were awarded for "achievement in smart growth."

December 1, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Chicago River Finally Getting Cleaned Up

Once reversed to keep its filth out of the drinking water, the Chicago River is finally getting cleaned up, on orders from the EPA. Now recognized as an asset, re-reversal and clean-up is predicted to infuse the city with $1 billion in investments.

December 1, 2011 - The Economist

New Urban Design Looks at Shared Spaces

In urban street design, a new movement known as 'shared spaces' has been emerging. This new movement "aims to reduce the dominance of cars by getting people and vehicles to share the road space," according to Walkonomics.

November 30, 2011 - This Big City

Redevelopment Project Sweeps The Bay Area

In San Francisco, almost one out of every six acres is slated to become parkland in the new urban infill projects in Mission Bay.

November 29, 2011 - City Parks Blog

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.