North America
Bike Projects Putting Americans Back to Work
Based on cost estimates data of 58 projects from 11 cities across the U.S., research shows that bicycle infrastructure creates more jobs per dollar spent than projects that focus exclusively on road infrastructure.
Marketing 101: How to Brand Public Transit
Campaigning blindly to encourage people to relinquish cars and take public transit is not enough. Policymakers need to develop business school marketing strategies to brand their campaigns, experts say.
Urbanism and Kids
Scott Doyon, a parent and an urbanist, argues that the suburban model isn't doing kids any favors. But, he says, designing urban areas that are kid-friendly is still a challenge.
The True Cost of Solar Power
By the numbers, solar energy comes with a hefty price tag in comparison to other sources. But energy experts claim that the overall value to society offsets the initial high production cost.
'The Johnny Appleseed of Walk-able Communities'
Walkability guru Dan Burden's long-preached message of pedestrian-focused planning is increasingly becoming policy in cities across the country.
Density, Closer to the Ground
Vancouver, Canada, famous for its dense downtown development, is changing tack slightly with a transit corridor from downtown to the airport, bringing building heights down mostly to 4 to 12 stories.
GM's CEO says, "Increase the Gas Tax"
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson told The Detroit News that he wants the gas tax boosted to "nudge" consumers towards more fuel-efficient cars.
Good News for Metro DC, Says Richard Florida
The same economic reports from May (namely, the jobs report and the Home Price Index) that have led to some concern about the direction of the U.S. economy overall, tell a very different story about Wahington DC, according to Richard Florida.
Kotkin Compares California to Iran
Calling California's attempts at environmental responsibility a "green jihad," Joel Kotkin argues that the state's "ideological extremism" has led to illogical economic and political decisions - similar to those made in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Urban Planners as "Zookeepers"
At the National Building Museum's Intelligent Cities Forum, one participant compared creating healthy cities to creating healthy animal environments in zoos.
LaHood and DOT Employees Bike to Work (VIDEO)
This two-minute video features U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood discussing the merits of bicycling and bike friendly places as he and other DOT employees bike to work.
Section 2 of NY's High Line Park Opens
A slideshow from Good Magazine highlights the newly opened section of the popular High Line Park in NYC.
Companies Ditch Suburban Office Parks
Suburban areas were once strongholds of corporate campuses and office parks. But there's a shift underway that's drawing companies back to cities.
The Campsite as Place
This piece from Places delves into the history of the campsite, their use of space, and their role in modern culture.
Guerrilla Gardens Go Legit
"Guerrilla gardening" is a growing movement where urban gardeners tend to vegetables on unused public land. But the allure of the illegal may disappear in Vancouver as city officials declare it legal.
Killer Cities
Urban design is increasingly linked with poor health conditions. Grist's Sarah Goodyear explains how cities are literally killing people.
Jane Jacobs' Complex Legacy
On the occasion of Jane Jacobs' birthday (and the international "Jane's Walks" held in her honor), Stephen Wickens muses on Jane Jacobs' legacy and the ways in which her ideas are used -- and misused -- in an age of superficial mass media.
New Orleans as a Laboratory for Architecture and Urban Planning
An article in The Architect's Newspaper describes post-Katrina redevelopment plans and calls the city a lab for architecture and planning.
What Downtown LA Would Like Without Cars (VIDEO)
Three architecture students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo teamed to make this video which aims to show what an auto-free downtown LA could be.
Urban Mobility, 2025
This post from This Big City looks at how transportation needs to evolve, and some of the ways it could in the near future.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
