A redesign for an animal shelter in St. Louis works to make a space warmer and fuzzier than the usual pound to encourage adoption. HOK Architects, the pro bono designers, are pursuing a LEED Platinum rating for the pet palace.
"In their studies, HOK found that daylight was the biggest factor in making dogs and cats calmer and therefore more adoptable. Under LEED, points can be garnered by having daylighting and views. Skylights help dogs know the patterns of the sun. Cats thrive when they have a window to look out of, preferably if there's a bird feeder outside (cat TV). While the requirements are strict about the height of windows for human occupants, the USGBC allowed for shorter window heights for non-humans.
Runoff water will be collected in tanks and treated so it can be used to clean cages. A green roof is planned for part of the roof. And there will be solar panels to generate electricity."
FULL STORY: Animal House In St. Louis, LEED Platinum for Dogs and Cats
Fourth Ward Project Aims for Sustainability on Atlanta's Beltline
A new megaproject hopes to bring new life to a former industrial site.
The Year in Urban Wildlife
A roundup of stories about the creatures that share our cities.
The Resiliency of Urban Wildlife
A wide-ranging research study highlights the various qualities that make animal species living in urban environments thrive—and how biodiversity improves the health of our cities.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie