Green Urbanism Principles

What exactly is Green Urbanism? The Next American City has a detailed explanation of the major principles of Green Urbanism all in a nifty slideshow.

1 minute read

February 25, 2011, 6:00 AM PST

By Shay Kahen


Steffen Lehmann writes:

"Green Urbanism is by definition interdisciplinary; it requires the collaboration of landscape architects, engineers, urban planners, ecologists, transport planners, physicists, psychologists, sociologists, economists and other specialists, in addition to architects and urban designers. Green Urbanism makes every effort to minimize the use of energy, water and materials at each stage of the city's or district's life-cycle, including the embodied energy in the extraction and transportation of materials, their fabrication, their assembly into the buildings and, ultimately, the ease and value of their recycling when an individual building's life is over."

Wednesday, February 16, 2011 in Next American City

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

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.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

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.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

People vote in Chicago behind blue privacy screens

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

November 5 - Block Club Chicago

Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks into a microphone. He wears a gray suit.

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.

November 5 - The City Reporter

People in Los Angeles going to the polls, following a sign with an "I Voted" design

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.

November 5 - Cal Matters