Environment

Heart of California's Agriculture on Life-Support

Water restrictions on farms in the state have atrophied jobs in the fertile Central Valley, giving communities some of the highest rates of unemployment in the state. As jobs dry up, the need for aid is surpassing what's there to give.

September 3, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

New Study on the Benefits of Density

A new report from the National Research Council seeks to establish the scientific basis for the relationships among development patterns, VMT, and energy consumption. So what did they find?

September 3, 2009 - Reconnecting America

Dengue Fever Increased by Rapid Urbanization

Rapid urbanization and dense cities with inadequate infrastructure are being cited as leading causes in the spread of dengue fever throughout Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.

September 3, 2009 - Reuters

Eco-Cities Progressing, Despite Bad Economy

The failing world economy put many large eco-developments on hold, but many projects like the Amsterdam's 'smart city' and Germany's Eco City Hamburg-Harburg are on track and forging new ground in sustainability practices.

September 2, 2009 - Business Week

Growth of Asian Cities Means Growth in Greenhouse Gases

A new study from the Asian Development Bank predicts that 20 years from now, Asian cities will be responsible for more than half of the world's greenhouse gases.

September 2, 2009 - Common Current

A 'Feasible' Engineering Solution to Global Warming

A new study from the UK Royal Society has determined that geo-engineering techniques are technically feasible approaches to address high levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting global warming.

September 2, 2009 - BBC

Chicago Schoolchildren to Ride Greener, Safer Buses

As the new school year starts, Chicago Public Schools yellow buses will be upgrading to new technologies including GPS, mobile data terminals (MDT), and adding hybrid buses.

September 1, 2009 - Chicago Sun-Times

Buildings That Are Green But Not Energy-Efficient

LEED-certified buildings may be constructed with little energy, but some are just as energy-intensive as non "green" buildings once they're in use. This disconnect is prompting the U.S. Green Building Council to change its rules.

September 1, 2009 - The New York Times

Dwindling Resources in a World of 9 Billion

The population is expected to climb to 9 billion within the next 50 years. As a result, crucial natural resources will dwindle. This article looks at four that will be much harder to come by in the future.

August 31, 2009 - Gizmag

'Fuel Management' Fueling Wildfires

As wildfires rage in Southern California, some experts are calling for a revision of policies that encourage controlled burns to reduce fire risks.

August 29, 2009 - Miller-McCune

When Going Green Is Less Important Than Saving Green

A new HVAC system for a building in Minnesota that was expected to meet high environmental standards was going to come in at almost three times its originally estimated costs. So city officials are delaying.

August 29, 2009 - Minneapolis-St.Paul Star Tribune

Inside Havana's Urban Farms

This video from the BBC looks inside some of the 200 urban farms that provide vegetables for Havana and the rest of Cuba.

August 29, 2009 - BBC

Right-Of-Way Issues Could Delay California HSR

A Sacramento judge has ruled that the environmental review for California's high-speed rail has failed to fully account for right-of-way delays involving Union Pacific trains.

August 28, 2009 - Sacramento Business Journal

Measuring Environmental Impacts With the 'Water Footprint'

A Dutch hydrological engineer has developed a new way to measure the environmental impact of humans: the "water footprint".

August 28, 2009 - Der Spiegel

Business Buys Bikes For Commuting Workers

A brewery in Ashland, Oregon decided that the best way to incentivize employees to commute differently was to buy them bikes. A 15-minute on-street parking space was removed and replaced with a large bicycle rack to accommodate the bicycles.

August 28, 2009 - Mail Tribune

A Biological Approach to City Building

Architecture and biomimicry are joining forces. A new city being planned in a flood-prone region of India is using the concept of mimicking nature to build a city that better responds to its environmental conditions.

August 27, 2009 - Harvard Magazine

Toilet to Tap to Farm

Farmers in the Monterey Bay area of California have been feeding their artichoke plants with recycled urban wastewater. And they've been doing it safely for years.

August 27, 2009 - Miller-McCune

Eco City Structure - From Land Uses Up

The future of architecture is in its expression as city structure, not just as buildings, and in its self-conscious ecological awareness, says architect Richard Register.

August 27, 2009 - Richard Register

Renewable Energy Goes Small and Wide

Small scale hydroelectricity projects are popping up all over the country, especially in remote and environmentally sensitive places.

August 26, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

The Feral Houses of Detroit

Plant life is taking over the abandoned houses of Detroit. These photos from James D. Griffioen offer a tour.

August 26, 2009 - Sweet Juniper

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.