Environment
Friday Funny: When Green Technology Backfires
The humor site Cracked takes a look at what happens when green technology backfires: melting houses, blinded jet pilots and buildings drowning in urine.
Are Efforts to Improve the Livability of China's Cities Hurting the Country's Economy?
As China continues to mature into a developed nation, efforts aimed at making its largest cities more environmentally sustainable and healthy may be putting a damper on the country's economic growth.
Global Warming's Contradictory Role in Decreasing Biodiversity
Despite the seemingly positive news outlined in a new report detailing the role global warming periods play in increasing biodiversity, today's extremely-rapid warming trajectory may cancel out any hope of that.
Can California's Delta Plan Balance Infrastructure Investment with Environmental Protections?
Jerry Meral, Deputy Secretary of Resources in California, discusses balancing myriad stakeholders and goals in pushing for Governor Brown's controversial Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta plan.
CEQA Reform Pits Democrats Against Environmentalists in California
Ian Lovett looks at efforts to reform CEQA, California's landmark environmental law. Decried as easily abused, and an impediment to economic development, bipartisan attempts to reform the law are making enemies out of allies.
Harvesting Data Essential for Saving Urban Gardens
To preserve the spread of urban gardening, activists are beginning to map and document the many haphazard community gardens to gain recognition from landlords and city officials in hopes of warding off bulldozers.
Chinese Cities Aren't as Bad as You've Heard
Lisa Gu pens a passionate defense of Chinese cities in response to a recent article that claims they are virtually "unlivable."
California Carbon Market Gets a Test Run
When California's carbon market launches in November, it will become the second-largest in the world. A test auction conducted this week with 150 of the companies to be involved in the program went off without a hitch.
With Policy Changes, Urban Farmers Seek Bountiful Harvest
Riding a tide of environmental consciousness and self-sufficiency, the urban agriculture movement is gaining momentum in California. Urban farmers have been lobbying for zoning and other city regulations to bring an underground hobby into the light.
L.A. Gets its River Back
This week, Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation intended to increase public access to the L.A. River for recreational and educational purposes, reports Yosuke Kitazawa.
Criticism of Fuel Efficiency Regulations from a Surprising Source
With President Obama adopting historic fuel efficiency regulations for motor vehicles, it may be helpful to hear from opponents of the regulatory approach, not only from the President’s political opponents but also the venerable Brookings Institution
Plans for Copenhagen's First 'Climate Adapted' Neighborhood Unveiled
By better integrating the natural and built environments, while enforcing standards of livability, Copenhagen seeks to transform its Saint Kjeld’s neighborhood into "a showcase area for climate adaptation technology," reports Damian Holmes.
Political Squabbling Trumps Demands for a New London Airport
Where are the projected 400 million air travelers coming to London supposed to land? Prime Minister David Cameron is caught between two politically difficult choices for how to manage the projected growth in passengers.
Design Competition for Bordeaux Puts Nature First
As the city of Bordeaux, France, makes plans to move up the list of major European cities, it's calling on a multidisciplinary design competition for ways to revitalize its city from the top down by integrating "natural areas."
EPA to Announce Strict New Fuel-Efficiency Standards
By requiring the U.S. auto fleet to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025, the standards announced today by the Obama administration will significantly cut U.S. oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, reports Juliet Eilperin.
Meeting on Common Ground: Community Development and Health Philanthropy Working Together
Often times, the community development field and health philanthropy have worked in the same neighborhoods, but separately. This is changing, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) Marjorie Paloma told Shelterforce how.
Finding Mayor Bloomberg's Fingerprints on a Transformed New York
As the end of the Bloomberg Era in New York draws to a close, The Architect's Newspaper goes agency by agency exploring how the Mayor has steered the forces of NYC real estate to meet goals for a cleaner, greener, and more equitable city.
Court of Appeals Deals Second Blow to EPA on Clean Air Regs
For the second time, a court has thrown out EPA efforts to address pollution from power plants in 'clean-air' states that cause pollution downwind. This time, the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule was the victim.
What is the World's Most Vulnerable City to Flooding?
Based on a range of data, including 19 different components, a new study examining cities located on river deltas has determined that Shanghai is the most vulnerable to major flooding.
Downtown Pittsburgh Sees Value in Going Green
Sixty-one of downtown Pittsburgh's largest property owners commit to cutting energy, water and transportation consumption by 50% over the next 18 years.
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
