Europe

Behavioral Shift in the Way We Drive

When "peak car use" is reached, the only way to go is down, claim Australian scholars Peter Newman and Jeff Kenworthy. They say we're already there - between 1995 to 2000, per capita VMT in some major cities around the world decreased.

July 14, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

Europe's Most Dynamic City

Berlin, Brussels or Bruges? Against the backdrop of an ongoing debt crisis, planning pundits deliberate on which European city is the true "dynamic center of Europe."

July 14, 2011 - The New York Times

German Port Town Transforms into Thriving, Ambitious Community

HafenCity, a neighborhood in the Hamburg docklands, is sprouting into a model redevelopment project by caring for the human element and adapting the port's cultural history into the physical landscape.

July 13, 2011 - Mother Nature Network

Would You Trade Your Car for A Lifetime Transit Pass?

The city of Murcia, Spain recently opened a new streetcar system, and is offering lifetime passes to the trolley for anyone who gives up their car for good.

July 11, 2011 - Shareable

EU's Carbon Pricing Mechanism Challenged in Court

Airlines argue in the European Court of Justice that the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is an overreach when imposed on flights to/from Europe.

July 11, 2011 - The Economist

More Lanes Means More Traffic

U. of Toronto economist Matthew Turner discusses his study that shows that building more traffic lanes attracts more traffic. Likewise, providing more transit may lure motorists out of their cars, but those motorists are replaced.

July 11, 2011 - NPR:All Things Considered

Olympic Preparations Spur Private Building Boom in Russian Resort City

Construction is underway to prepare the Russian resort city of Sochi for its hosting of the 2014 Winter Olympics. But it's not just venues for the games that are being built.

July 10, 2011 - The Voice of Russia

Water as Infrastructure

Developers in Sweden plan to use the several aquifers already located underneath Stockholm's streets to heat and cool the buildings located above them.

July 8, 2011 - This Big City

Belgians Create "the Architectural Equivalent of A Mullet"

A post at Fast Company describes the House in the Outskirts of Brussels as business in front and a party in back. (SEE IMAGES).

July 7, 2011 - Fast Company

The Bicycles of Amsterdam

Cargo bikes, tandems and even ice cream bikes - this photo-essay highlights the great variety of bicycles being used in Amsterdam. Charles Siegel hopes the pictures will get Americans over their timidness when it comes to practical bicycling.

July 7, 2011 - Preservation Institute Blog

Cloudy Outlook for Solar Energy in Britain

The Economist argues that heavy reliance on solar power as an alternative energy source will not help Britain meet its greenhouse-gas reduction targets in 2050 due to operational and financial infeasibilities.

July 5, 2011 - The Economist

New Plaza Preserves Unexpected Historical Find

Plans to build a parking garage below an old plaza in Seville, Spain, revealed underground roman ruins. So the city built a new structure to hover over the site and to emphasize the area's historic amenities.

June 28, 2011 - Metropolis

Stockholm's Transportation Remodel

In Stockholm, Sweden, planners are moving ahead with a broad central city redevelopment plan that seeks to continue the city's trend of reducing car traffic and congestion, and making it easier for bikers, walkers and transit takers to get around.

June 28, 2011 - Citiwire

European Transportation Policy: Make Life Difficult For Motorists

It's the opposite of conventional transportation policy in American cities that places motorist convenience in high priority (think 'level of service'). This story shows what European cities are doing to get motorists out of cars.

June 27, 2011 - The New York Times - Environment

European Cities are Driven to Become "Walkers' Paradises"

If you can't fix the players then by all means fix the game. This appears to be the strategy that many European cities, including Zurich, have employed to reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles.

June 27, 2011 - The New York Times

Cheap(er) Gas Prices On Horizon

Gas prices have been dropping for a month. According to the chief oil analyst with the Oil Price Information Service in this radio interview, expect prices to continue dropping to as low as $3.25 a gallon, but don't expect lower than $3.00.

June 21, 2011 - NPR-Weekend Edition Sunday

Secret Plans for Chinese Version of Austrian Village Irk Locals

Plans to build a copy of a scenic Austrian village in China have irked officials in Hallstatt, Austria, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

June 17, 2011 - Der Spiegel

Learning From Sweden: Green Cars Don't Reduce Emissions

Despite having the world's most energy efficient, least polluting auto fleet, greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector continue to rise in Sweden.

June 14, 2011 - Common Dreams

The Olympic Aftermath in Athens

This piece from Domus goes on a tour of Athens with local architect Andreas Angelidakis, who reflects on the city's lasting and negative impacts from hosting the Olympics.

June 14, 2011 - domus

Unfinished Nuclear Plant Converted into Amusement Park

A never-completed nuclear reactor in Germany is being converted into an amusement park. The project has been years in the works, and is still only partially converted.

June 10, 2011 - Der Spiegel

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.