340KM above your head, the first human dwelling beyond Earth's surface has just been completed. Last week, a space shuttle launched on May 14 added the final building block to the $125 billion International Space Station.
"It makes no sense to judge costs by square meter as there are no floors in weightlessness," but at a cost of $144 million per cubic meter of inhabitable volume, it is unlikely to be used as a model for the latest downtown duplex development.
David Nixon, one of the architects involved in the station's construction, describes how the "willingness of many nations - and former enemies - to work together in a commonwealth of learning" has allowed human space exploration to establish it's first inhabitable base in space. He believes this fantastical new building represents a pinnacle of human craftsmanship.
FULL STORY: International Space Station
Train on the Moon? US to Explore Lunar Railway
Program proponents say this “visionary” endeavor “heralds a new era of human presence and economic activity beyond Earth.”
Mars Perseverance Rover and the Future Colonization of Mars
The 2020s is the decade of Mars. Last week NASA's Perseverance rover became the sixth American robot to land on the red planet, and the third visitor this month. Where are we going with Mars, who will get us there, and what is the ultimate goal?
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
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.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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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