Environment
Groundbreaking Climate Change Plan
Once a bastion of sprawl, the San Diego region is now embracing one of the most significant regional planning efforts in the nation's history. It is the first region in California to draft a Sustainable Communities Strategy, as mandated by SB 375.
South Korea Rises
South Korea is emerging as a new center of Asian mega development. With a variety of large-scale and small-scale projects, the country is taking a specific interest in sustainable development.
New York City Brownfields Program Clean But Flawed
A citywide brownfields recovery program in New York City has been cleaning up polluted sites, allowing new developments to move in on formerly vacant areas. But some worry the program is fueling gentrification.
Evidence That Smart Growth Strategies Curb Emissions
A new report from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute says that new evidence shows that smart growth policies can have a significant effect on vehicle miles traveled and thus reduce emissions.
Affordable Housing Gets Energy Retrofit in Boston
Castle Square Apartments in Boston is currently being retrofitted in what is said to be the largest energy savings project of its kind. The low-income housing towers are receiving $6.7 million from HUD's Recovery Act Green Retrofit Program.
EPA, DOT Release New Fuel Economy Stickers for New Cars
The new stickers offer significantly more useful information for comparing a new vehicle's gas mileage to other cars, including how much a year's worth of gas will cost you and the impact of that car on the environment.
Absurd Safety in Playgrounds Causing Accidents
Planner Sharon Danks says that as playgrounds become less challenging due to concerns over liability, kids invent their own, far more dangerous uses for the equipment.
LEED-ND For The Layperson
The Natural Resources Defense Council has prepared a 44-page 'Citizen's Guide' to the green building principles contained in the LEED-Neighborhood Development rating system for the layperson and organizations to apply in their own neighborhoods.
Fanciful Bike Storage Mounts on Tall Buildings
Design firm Manifesto Architecture is proposing a unique vertical bike storage system that can take advantage of underused, slim spaces like alleys. Another neat aspect: the rack is powered by a stationery bike.
Britons are Driving Less
British cities report 9% fewer car trips per person and a 5% decline in distance traveled by car. That's because fewer young people are deciding to learn how to drive, says Prof. Phil Goodwin of the University of West of England.
City of Crows
Crows are seemingly everywhere, including cities. A new book looks at the relationship between people and crows in urban areas and what it says about modern cities.
Density, Resources and Greatness
Density reduces costs and helps make places more sustainable, according to this post in a series on "great places".
Will Olympics Earn Green Medal for London?
The 2012 Olympics are hoped to create a big economic boost for host city London. The event's long-term impacts on the environment, though, are still hard for organizers to predict.
Mississippi River Course Change Likely
By analyzing maps and topographical information, this post from Data Pointed shows how the Mississippi River is likely to change course and head towards lower ground.
Swimming Pool Heated by Waste Heat from Cremations
Crematories produce a lot of waste heat. Is it sacrilegious to recycle that excess heat to warm a swimming pool, as is the plan in Redditch, England?
Density is Good for Cities, But is it Healthy for Kids?
Yes, people walk around more, less obesity, etc. But a report shows that city kids are less frequently allowed outside to play for safety concerns.
Chicago Plans for a Warmer Future
Climate scientists have warned Chicago's planners that the City will be significantly warmer and wetter by the end of theentury. And from street trees to building standards, that message is infiltrating Chicago's planning and design.
Public Bleakness in Seattle
Seattle is growing more dense, which is underlining the importance of the city's public spaces. But as this piece from Crosscut argues, the city's public spaces are mostly bleak and underused.
Booming West Faces Busted Water Supply
Projections of water shortages and predicted changes in the climate mean bad news for water users in the American West.
Houston Roadway Would Fuel Growth, Harm Migratory Birds
Plans to build a parkway around Houston will help ease traffic and spur growth in the region, but it will also run right through a key stopover point for millions of migrating birds.
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
