Europe

Solar panels shading cars in parking lot in Avignon, France

France Mandates Solar Panels Over Parking Lots Nationwide

By 2028, all French parking lots with more than 80 spots will have to be covered with solar panels, providing both shade and renewable energy.

November 11, 2022 - Jalopnik

Nederlandsche Bank building, Amsterdam

The Cradle-to-Cradle Approach to Building

The circular economy. Cradle-to-cradle. The regenerative economy. Whatever you call it, an approach to building that eliminates waste would transform the next generation of the built environment.

October 14, 2022 - The New York Times

Yellow gas pipeline with E.U. flag on one side and Russia flag on the other side

Vladimir Putin is Waging Two Wars in Europe

A hot war is being fought by Ukraine against Russia while the European Union is reeling from an energy war waged by Russian President Vladimir Putin in retaliation against economic sanctions placed on his nation for invading Ukraine.

September 15, 2022 - POLITICO Europe

Pandemic Bike Lanes

Europe Building a Post-Car Future

While the United States mobilizes to transition to electric cars, cities and countries in Europe are transitioning to fewer cars.

September 6, 2022 - Yahoo News

Chicago Commuter Rail

Alternative Railroad Electrification

Rather than building costly overhead electrification infrastructure to convert a Chicago-area commuter rail line from polluting diesel power to emission-free electricity, the Metra Board of Directors chose a far less expensive and quicker route.

August 28, 2022 - Metra

Four natural gas storage tanks with European Union flag logos

Rationing Energy

American motorists may complain about the 'pain at the pump,' but there is no shortage of gasoline, unlike the availability of natural gas in Europe.

August 7, 2022 - E&E News

Gas Pumps

Is $7 a Gallon for Gas on the Horizon?

Global oil prices may skyrocket when the European Union, which receives about one third of its oil from Russia, enacts a partial ban on importing Russian oil at the end of the year to stop financing Russia's war in Ukraine.

July 28, 2022 - The New York Times

Green roof in Rotterdam, The Netherlands

How Rotterdam’s Green Rooftops Fight Urban Heat

An elevated park in Rotterdam shows how green roofs can cool cities and create public parks in tight quarters.

June 5, 2022 - Surface Magazine

Liquid natural gas tanker in Klaipeda, Lithuania

Europe's New Energy Infrastructure Begins to Emerge

When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin hoped to quickly redraw national boundary lines in Eastern Europe. The region's energy infrastructure, particularly pipelines carrying natural gas, may change sooner.

May 24, 2022 - POLITICO Europe

Moscow, Russia

Banning Russian Oil, Part II

Part I occurred when President Biden banned the importation of all Russian fossil fuels on March 8. A month later, Congress passed legislation to codify the embargo. Getting the European Union onboard is proving cumbersome.

May 12, 2022 - Politico

Environmentalism

Has the Rug Been Pulled Out From Under Environmentalists?

Robinson Meyer, a climate reporter for The Atlantic, writes about the awkward place American environmentalists find themselves due in part to the war in Europe that has created an international energy crisis and historically high fuel prices at home.

May 6, 2022 - The Atlantic

Gazprom building in St. Petersburg, Russia

Energy War Comes to the European Union

When President Putin ordered Gazprom to turn off the valve on pipelines carrying Russian gas to Poland and Bulgaria, he effectively expanded the Russia-Ukraine war to the European Union, threatening their economic well-being and way of life.

May 3, 2022 - The New York Times

Natural Gas

Withholding Energy as a Weapon

As Russia intensifies its offensive in Ukraine, energy security has become a matter of urgency for Poland and Bulgaria after Russia announced they will suspend the flow of natural gas through its pipelines to these two NATO and EU members.

April 27, 2022 - The New York Times

Drilling rig at a gas field in the North of Western Siberia

Hooked on Russian Gas

The EU relies on Russia for 45% of its natural gas imports and 27% of its crude oil imports. Germany's dependency is a major reason why it won't ban these imports despite Russia's war in Ukraine. Two natural gas pipelines explain part of the problem.

April 21, 2022 - The New York Times

Oil extraction pumps in winter landscape in Russia

European Union Takes Initial Step to Ban Russian Energy Imports

After a second day of talks in Brussels, ambassadors to the European Union agreed to ban coal imports from Russia as evidence of widescale atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine surfaced after their withdrawal from the outskirts of Kyiv.

April 11, 2022 - The New York Times

Gas Pumps

Waging War on High Gas Prices

America is not at war, but that didn't stop President Joe Biden from calling the largest release of oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve that he authorized on March 31 to lower oil prices, a 'wartime bridge.'

April 6, 2022 - Washington Examiner

Expocenter of Ukraine

The Radical Architecture of Kyiv

Five Ukrainian urbanists discuss the buildings, parks, and neighborhoods that make Kyiv unique.

April 4, 2022 - The Atlantic

Energy Use

U.S. to Help European Union Achieve Energy Security

President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in Brussels the formation of a joint task force to help the European Union reduce dependence on Russian energy in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

April 3, 2022 - Euractiv

Oil Drills

Sanctioning Russian Energy Exports

European leaders chose not to join the U.S. in an embargo of Russian energy products largely because of dependence on natural gas. Similarly, the world needs the 11% of crude oil that Russia exports. What can the U.S. do to lessen this dependence?

March 24, 2022 - Rhodium Group

Social Distancing

Second Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic

March 11 marked the second anniversary of WHO's declaration of the pandemic and the beginning of its third year. Cases continue to plummet in the U.S. and plateau globally while war in Europe has overshadowed the virus that has killed 6 million.

March 16, 2022 - The Associated Press

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.

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