Replacing water with slipperiness in an unexpected place can save energy.
"The architect Robert Fox, a partner at Cook + Fox Architects in New York, was talking about his favorite new urinals.
'The porcelain sides are extremely slippery, so when you urinate, the urine goes down the sides and down the hole,' he said. 'It is not sitting on a pool of water like a typical urinal. When you are peeing, the pee is going away immediately.'
The urinals he enjoys so much are a new kind of urinal, favored by 'green' builders, that use no water.
'There is blue liquid in the chamber underneath, and the blue liquid is lighter than urine,' he said. 'So the urine sinks and the blue liquid stays on top and forms a seal which keeps the odor in.'"
"Waterless urinals date to 1891, when a Swiss entrepreneur used sunflower oil instead of light blue liquid to make odorless outhouses. But they have experienced a rebirth now that the green building movement has taken a hold of our internal plumbing."
FULL STORY: It’s Urinetown 2006: Green Architects Use Heads of the Future
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
New York Passes Housing Package Focused on New Development and Adaptive Reuse
The FY 2025 budget includes a new tax incentive, funding for affordable housing on state land, and support for adaptive reuse and ADUs.
LA Metro Board Approves New 710 Freeway Plan
The newest plan for the 710 corridor claims it will not displace any residents.
Austin’s Proposed EV Charging Rules Regulate Station Locations, Size
City planners say the new rules would ensure an efficient distribution of charging infrastructure across the city and prevent an overconcentration in residential areas.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.