Environment
Grassroots Environmental Movement Sprouts in China
Environmental activism is on the rise in China. It's not a fast rise, but its existence is seen by many as a major step.
Noise and the City
Cairo, Egypt is becoming increasingly noisy.
Flood Control Project On Death Bed
An Army Corps of Engineers flood control project in south-central Mississippi is in danger of being vetoed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But supporters have not given up hope.
Beijing to Polluting Construction Industry: Stop
In an effort to improve the city's air quality in time for this summer's Olympic Games, officials in Beijing are planning to halt all construction and other polluting processes for two months starting in mid-July.
Tightening the Belt
A new report praises Ontario's greenbelt - 11 times the size of Toronto - as a model for urban growth control.
Rooftop Gardens Offers Alternative To Backyards
Green roofs offer an opportunity for outdoor space and gardening for people with little or no yards.
Smokng Banned in Mexico City
With one of the world's higher rates of air pollution, Mexico City is cracking down on one type of emission: cigarette smoke. Smoking has been banned in all public places in the city, including office buildings and restaurants.
'Subway Reef' Adaptive Reuse Project Brings Population Boom
Old subway cars are being dumped off the coast of Delaware, creating a manmade reef. Life is flourishing in this new underwater subway cemetery, but officials worry the reef may be too successful.
Eco-Cities: Today's Garden Cities
England's plans to build 3 million new homes by 2020, and much emphasis has been placed on making them environmentally friendly. The push for "eco-town" draw a strong parallel to the "Garden Cities" of the past.
Is This McMansion Green?
A New York developer is unveiling plans for a fleet of luxury homes that aim to comply with LEED environmental standards. But this article from The New York Times wonders whether that really makes the homes green.
Corps Grilled on Gulf Restoration Plan
A year-late plan by the Army Corps of Engineers to restore the Louisiana Gulf Coastline is being slammed by critics.
California's Growth Debate Continues Amidst Housing Slowdown
Sacramento Bee's political columnist Dan Walters discusses the California growth debate amidst the temporary development lull and questions whether the state is ready to embrace smart growth, despite recognizing that it reduces global warming.
The Unintended Consequences Of Stormwater Regulation
California water quality regulators continue to levy ever-tougher standards for stormwater runoff. But the standards could impact development and cities in a way that is not best for the environment at large.
Part High-Rise, Part Wind Turbine Opens In Bahrain
In the oil rich Middle East, a new twin tower development is utilizing wind turbines installed between the buildings to generate up to 15 percent of the structure's energy needs.
Put up a Park in the Lot
Ruben Anderson suggests that if automobile parking could be kept to properties, that could free up the former on-street parking to become Garden Streets, so that cities could grow much more of their own produce.
Californians Say 'Make Gas Guzzlers Pay'
A new poll shows that many of the state's residents support new ideas for funding transportation improvements, including charging higher fees to drivers of SUVs and other fuel inefficient vehicles.
We'll Go Down To The River
Despite official calls following the 1993 floods along the Mississippi to remove development from flood plains, more housing and retail developments continue to be built along vulnerable areas.
Jobs Needed to Turn the Lower Class Green
A "green-collar job force" made up of low-income people is necessary to get those with fewer resources on the initially costly green living bandwagon, according to civil rights lawyer Van Jones.
Water Supply Crisis Facing 36 States
Rising temperatures, shrinking ice packs and the salinization of coastal fresh water sources are all contributing to a growing water crisis in the United States.
How Housing Choices Affect Climate Change
NPR's Climate Connections series explores how American's lifestyles affect climate change. In this first of two articles, Elizabeth Shogren introduces an Emory University researcher who moves out of Atlanta into her 'dream house' in the suburbs.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
