Environment

Land Use Clash Involves "Every Piece of Law You Can Think Of"

An amusement ride business in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is the center of controversy involving public space, environmental protection, and noise pollution.

June 30, 2009 - LAW Times

Mississippi River Dams Doom Gulf Marshes

Marsh loss in the Gulf region is being exacerbated beyond repair by dams along the Mississippi River, according to a recent study.

June 30, 2009 - The New York Times

Rainwater Collection Rules Evolving in the West

Two new laws in Colorado make legal the formerly prohibited act of collecting rainwater. Other states aren't so lenient.

June 30, 2009 - The New York Times

Squatters to Gain Legal Land Rights in the Amazon

The Brazilian government has just approved a measure that would grants legal land rights to squatters in the Amazon.

June 28, 2009 - Guardian

Good Parks Good for Urban Economies

Anne Schwartz compiles recent studies on the economic value of parks, describing how an investment in parks by the city will result in a healthier urban economy.

June 27, 2009 - Gotham Gazette

Bicycle Use Surpasses Car Use in Amsterdam

According to the latest numbers out of Amsterdam, residents are for the first time using bicycles for transport more often than they use their cars.

June 27, 2009 - The Oregonian

Air in Hundreds of Neighborhoods Carries Elevated Risk of Cancer

Residents in 600 American neighborhoods are breathing air with levels of pollution that put them at an elevated risk of developing cancer.

June 26, 2009 - Associated Press

Gasping for Air in America

Next American City's Hamida Kinge reviews the "State of the Air" report from the American Lung Association and finds dire news for the majority of Americans.

June 26, 2009 - Next American City

Rep. Blumenauer Touts Cap and Trade

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer expresses his support for the American Clean Energy and Security Act as the House of Representatives prepares for a vote.

June 25, 2009 - The Huffington Post

Obama's Weatherization Program in Action

Van Jones tours a weatherization project in D.C., part of the $5 billion the Obama Administration is putting into weatherization projects to cut energy costs. (VIDEO)

June 24, 2009 - WhiteHouse.gov

New Report: Use Cap & Trade Revenue To Invest In Smart Growth

Cap and trade is the topic du jour in climate change circles. A new report from CCAP makes the economic case for using those revenues to promote smart growth that reduces transportation emissions though VMT reductions.

June 24, 2009 - Center for Clean Air Policy Press Release

Climate Change is Local, Says Chu

U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu said at the Asia Society Washington, D.C. center awards dinner that "climate change is the greatest challenge facing science."

June 24, 2009 - THE DIRT

Kunstler Says "Too Late" For High-Speed Rail

Returning from CNU, James Howard Kunstler reacts to a NY Times article about California's high-speed rail plans, and reflects on New Urbanism's shift away from traditional-neighborhood developments and into preparing for the 'long emergency'.

June 23, 2009 - Kunstler.com

City Living Is Greener

Cities produce more CO2 per acre, but much less per person than other types of living, according to a new study by The Center for Neighborhood Technology.

June 22, 2009 - Chicago Sun-Times

Closing the Loop on Energy Use

Architect Michael Palwyn is designing sustainable architecture that combines solar power and seawater into an ultra-efficient loop of resource conservation.

June 22, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Sustainable Sites Initiative: A New Stand-alone Rating System

The National Building Museum recently held a session on Sustainable Sites Initiative, which outlines voluntary guidelines for sustainable practices.

June 20, 2009 - THE DIRT

Masterplanning the Architecture of the Near Future

As the population rises, underused and empty spaces are going to fill in. How well the transition works depends on shifts in demographics and infrastructure, as well as architecture. A studio of UCLA architecture students were asked to plot that transition. But before they could be architects, they had to be planners.

June 18, 2009 - Nate Berg

Parkour Enthusiasts Rediscover The American City

While urbanists have long used the built environment as their playground, the French sport of parkour is connecting residents of America's cities to their surroundings in a new, if not extreme manner.

June 18, 2009 - Philadelphia Inquirer

"Grow Smart Bay Area" Report Released

With great fanfare, the Bay Area's Greenbelt Alliance has released a new report, "Grow Smart Bay Area", the premise being that future population and job growth can be accommodated by infill and by doing so, will add to the region's sustainability.

June 17, 2009 - San Jose Mercury News

Renewable Energy System is on the Way

President Obama plans to spend billions on building an interstate highway-style system for energy.

June 17, 2009 - Discover Magazine

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.