Plans are bubbling for a "solar city" in the Arizona desert -- a new town for more than 300,000 people that will be largely powered by solar panels.
"The prospective 33,000-acre development will include housing for 300,000 people as well as high-tech and commercial schemes."
"The town will export energy to the grid in the daytime but will have to import it at night as solar panels cannot produce electricity when the sun is down."
"It is thought the project will produce energy through a combination of photovoltaic (PV) panels on houses and solar farm technologies, where heat from the sun is used to generate steam and drive a turbine."
"Questions have been raised about the suitability of solar technology to the area, where intense heat and dust cut the lifespan of a PV panel to about half its normal length. But it is thought to be the only renewable option in Arizona, where there is little wind or water."
FULL STORY: Arup to design world’s first ‘solar city’ in Arizona
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Research: Walkability Linked to Improved Public Health
A study reveals that the density of city blocks is a significant factor in communities’ walkability and, subsequently, improved public health outcomes for residents.
Report Outlines Strategies for Resilient Wildfire Recovery in LA
Project Recovery offers a roadmap for rebuilding more sustainable and climate-resilient communities after wildfires and other disasters.
New Executive Order Renews Attack on Public Lands
An order issued late last week pushes for increased mineral extraction on federally owned public lands.
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.
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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Piedmont, CA
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
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