Environment

Does Land Conservation Drive Housing Costs?

A new study in the San Francisco Bay Area says no, that had there been no controls in place there would be only 6.5% more housing built over the past 50 years.

April 7, 2010 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Farming Settles into the City

The idea of urban farming has gone from fringe to functional, with backyards plots and small infill operations teeming across North America. Lloyd Alter takes a look at the trend.

April 7, 2010 - Azure Magazine

Global Leaders Discuss the Mutual Challenges of Urbanization

The recent World Urban Forum in Brazil attracted media from around the world, but surprisingly few from the U.S. But as Neal Peirce writes, that doesn't mean the U.S. government wasn't involved.

April 6, 2010 - Citiwire

New Orleans' Recovery Lessons for Haiti

Nearly five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the bungled recovery effort offers lessons to Haiti and Chile as they recover from more recent natural disasters, according to this piece from Allison Arieff.

April 6, 2010 - The New York Times

Combined NHTSA & EPA Standards for New Cars Issued

Normally fuel economy standards are set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Due to the 2007 Supreme Court ruling on the Clean Air Act, the new rules are jointly issued by the EPA to regulate tailpipe emissions as well as CAFE.

April 5, 2010 - Union Of Concerned Scientists

How Fungi Can Restore the Land

Mycologist Paul Stamets believes that mycelium, a fungi, could be integral to restoring damaged soil, repairing habitats, and even cleaning brownfields.

April 5, 2010 - Design Under Sky

Reducing Oil Dependency Strikes a Chord With Americans

A new poll from Transportation for America shows that Americans respond to the call to reduce oil dependency, particularly when told how much of the U.S.'s oil intake goes to transportation.

April 3, 2010 - Grist

A Closer Look at Dockside Green

Dockside Green, a development in Victoria, B.C., is a breathtaking model of urban regeneration, brownfield reuse, green design, and community building, says Ken Pirie.

April 1, 2010 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments

LEED Certification For Parking: Reserve Space For Low Emitters

A Marin County shopping mall hopes to be the first LEED-certified mall, partly by reserving parking space for low emitting vehicles. All spaces, for guzzlers and green vehicles alike, are unpriced, perhaps pointing to shortfalls of green building.

April 1, 2010 - Marin Independent Journal

Obama: Drill, Baby, Drill

President Barack Obama has lifted a ban on drilling for oil off the coast of the eastern U.S. Critics say the move won't meet the stated goal of achieving energy independence, while proponents say this is only the first step that needs to be taken.

April 1, 2010 - The New York Times

Bringing Life to the Streets of the UAE

This oped from The National calls for increased attention to the streetscapes of the United Arab Emirate, specifically the lack of non-palm trees and seating.

April 1, 2010 - The National

Interference with Delta Geography Enabled Katrina's Devastation

The environmental and infrastructural conditions that brought about the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 remain today, and have the potential to cause similar devastation, according to this piece.

March 31, 2010 - Places

Portland A Hotspot for 'Stormwater Tourism'

Portland's "Green Streets" program is becoming a new tourist attraction in the city, which officials from other cities are visiting to learn from the Pacific Northwest's model water treatment infrastructure.

March 30, 2010 - USA Today

Seeking a Green Legacy in South Korea

South Korean government officials are increasingly focusing on green projects to improve their cities' sustainability -- and create legacies for politicians.

March 29, 2010 - The New York Times

Empty America

America is suffering from a glut of underused space- our homes, offices, and shopping centers. How can we get more efficient in our use of space? Alison Arieff has this report.

March 28, 2010 - The New York Times

Wampanoag Indians Fight Windmill Farm

The giant Cape Wind turbine farm project has overcome significant opposition, but now two Massachusetts tribes are attempting to block its construction, claiming cultural and religious issues.

March 27, 2010 - The Los Angeles Times

Sequestering CO2 In Sidewalk Cement

A Silicon Valley startup is proposing to turn carbon dioxide emissions from coal and gas power plants into cement that can be used for everyday construction.

March 24, 2010 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Saving Depleted River Could Unite War-Torn Region

This article from National Geographic examines the rapidly depleted Jordan River and how saving it could bring Israel and its quarreling neighbors together.

March 23, 2010 - National Geographic

Pushing Forward a World Urban Campaign

City and government officials from around the world are in Rio de Janeiro to make the argument that urban hold the key to sustainability. Neal Peirce reports.

March 23, 2010 - Citiwire

The Return of Nuclear Power

Pres. Obama has come out in favor of developing more nuclear power plants, and the public is warming up to the idea because of the climate change benefits of switching from coal. Hendrik Hertzberg looks at the politics of atomic power.

March 22, 2010 - The New Yorker

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.

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.