Part of a plan to move United Kingdom to renewable energy involves using heat from the London Underground to heat homes.
A new project in London will pipe heat from the Underground into homes and businesses in the Islington borough in the northern part of the city. "The project is one of a growing number of schemes across the UK designed to warm homes using 'waste heat' from factories, power plants, rivers and disused mine shafts," reports Jillian Ambrose.
The government is looking to shift to alternative energy sources, and harnessing waste heat is one strategy to decrease emissions. "The Greater London Authority (GLA) estimates there is enough heat wasted in London to meet 38% of the city’s heating demands," notes Ambrose.
Other programs have used waste heat from industry and urban sources to keep greenhouses warm, heat water going to homes, and fuel heating and cooling systems.
FULL STORY: Underground line to heat up London homes during winter
London Starts New Program to Track Air Quality
A network of monitoring devices will bring together technology and data analytics to help inform residents about air pollution.
How London's Leading on Transit Data
Transport for London is forging ahead on several projects to collect and use more rider data. One initiative draws on WiFi connections to map users' paths through the London Underground.
London Releases Tunnels Map for Claustrophobic Tube Riders
Transport for London has responded to customer requests for a new accessibility measure: a map to help riders avoid long tunnels.
Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.
San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.
California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill
The proposed legislation would have prohibited new construction in historically underserved areas that often bear the burnt of the negative impacts of freeways.
Initiative Brings Capacity Building to Booming Rural Towns
A research and capacity building initiative based at Utah State University seeks to help fast-growing tourist meccas in the West plan for smart growth.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
