A small village founded in Colombia in the 1960s as an experiment in sustainable agriculture is still thriving. Experts like Amory Lovins are paying Gaviotas a visit to learn their secrets.
""A place like Gaviotas bears witness to our ability to get it right, even under seemingly insurmountable circumstances," the American journalist Alan Weisman wrote in a 1998 book about Gaviotas.
The village uses resin from the pines for biofuel in its tractors and motorbikes, and processes other resin for sale to use in products like varnishes and linseed oil."
Read the full story: An Isolated Village Finds the Energy to Keep Going
Op-ed: if transit agencies want sustainability, they should focus on their buildings
In the Washington region, buildings can account for nearly 70% of greenhouse gas emissions. If WMATA wants to be a sustainable agency, it must upgrade its developments as well as its transit.
Swapping your gas car for an EV is greener than keeping it, research shows
An EV repays the 'carbon debt' caused by building it after 4,400 miles.
Climate change could double household water costs in some cities, study finds
New research suggests that climate change-related stressors are straining municipal water systems.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority