Last month, politicians, energy executives, and energy experts met in Istanbul for the 23rd World Energy Congress. The event gives global leaders a chance to coordinate energy policy, discuss new ideas, and seek solutions to climate change
At previous congresses, the role of cities in energy creation, consumption, and activism was rarely discussed. This year, a new report hoped to change that. Written by Arup at the behest of event organizer the World Energy Council, the document points out that cities consume the majority of the world’s energy and house the majority of its people, but have little control over how energy is produced, distributed, or used. Urban areas matter in global energy discussions for a simple reason: they use almost two-thirds of the world’s energy and account for more than 70% of all greenhouse gases. Buildings — most of which are located, of course, in cities — consume 51% of the world’s nonindustrial energy. And cities will become even more relevant to global energy planning as urban centers grow. According to the United Nations, two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050.
Read the full story: How cities will lead the energy future
Could the Humble Heat Pump Be a Decarbonization Hero?
Buildings are responsible for a little less than half of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Break this figure down further and you'll find that building heating accounts for about a fifth of all U.S. emissions.
Court unfreezes $20B in federal climate grants
A U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration potentially violated the Inflation Reduction Act by attempting to claw back grants awarded under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program.
Portland's clean energy fund has generated $1 billion for climate action
Since 2019, the city has levied a 1% sales tax on large corporations to support climate resilience and clean energy projects.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello