Central and South America
Central and South America
El Salvador President Envisions Retro-Futurist ‘Bitcoin City’
In the same week that the cryptocurrency’s value took a nosedive, the president of El Salvador unveiled a model for a volcano-powered ‘smart city.’
Vecindades: Mexico City's Answer to 'Missing Middle Housing'
An iconic multifamily housing form repurposes the former homes of Mexico's elite into communal housing for urban workers.
Infrastructure Investment for Public Safety: Lessons from Medellín
A natural experiment in Medellín indicates that infrastructural investments can reduce crime and improve perceptions of public safety.
Monitoring the Effects of the Pandemic on Metros and Cities
Eugénie Birch discusses cities' and metros' recoveries from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jaime Lerner, One of the World's Most Influential Urbanists, Passes Away at the Age of 83
A sad day for the world of planning and urban design innovation, as Jaime Lerner, the Brazilian urbanist who created the concept of bus rapid transit as we know it today, passed away in Brazil.
Looking to the Future as TransMilenio Turns 20
The world's most famous, and influential, bus rapid transit system, which served 2.4 million riders a day in Bogotá in the days before the pandemic, offers lessons in transit planning and management as it enters its third decade.
The World's Highest Rates of Coronavirus Infections and Deaths
Brazil and the U.S. lead the world in daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. Western Europe is undergoing a third wave of infections, resulting in a new round of lockdowns, yet most of these nations are not among the 12 hotspots shown on a global tracker.
The World's Worst COVID Outbreak
Brazil has surpassed the U.S. and led the world in the daily average of COVID-19 deaths and coronavirus infections during the last week. Experts point to a coronavirus variant and the lack of a federal strategy, leaving states without assistance.
Are We 'Rounding the Corner' in the Pandemic?
All the coronavirus data is moving in the right direction in most of the U.S., yet 130,000 additional Americans are projected to die from COVID-19 by June according to one widely used model.
Bogotá Uses 7,000 Public Design Proposals to Redesign its Main Artery
To reimagine the city's most important artery, Bogotá sought community input via an innovative online platform.
Mexico Amends Constitution to Declare Safe Mobility a Human Right
Mexico recently ratified an amendment to its constitution to make safe mobility a human right. The amendment comes in response to unsafe conditions on the country's streets, roads, and highways.
Bogotá Commits to the Bicycle
Colombia's capital city, the birthplace of the Ciclovía, is devoting public space to bikes during lockdown. To reduce traffic, the city plans to allocate even more public space to bike infrastructure and sustainable mobility moving forward.
The Pandemic's New Epicenter
On May 22, the World Health Organization declared Latin America the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil is second in the world in reported cases after the U.S., and Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and Mexico are also suffering disproportionately.
Just What the Planet Needs: More Oil Production
A surge of oil from four countries—Norway, Guyana, Canada and Brazil—will more than compensate for slowing growth of U.S. oil production. The new sources might cause oil prices to dip to $50 a barrel and slow the transition to electric vehicles.
How a Subway Fare Increase Kicked Off Chile's Largest Protest
For many residents, Santiago's subway system and its fare hikes became a nexus for anger over deeper inequities across Chilean society.
The Diversity of Biking in Art and Culture
Bikes are an important part of many people’s lives, and fostering a world where cycling has a place involves recognizing this diversity of experience.
Demand for Lithium Drops as Global Electric Vehicle Sales Slump
It was long thought that a finite supply of lithium, a key element needed for electric vehicle batteries, would constrain the production of zero-emission vehicles, but the opposite happened: a slow down in EV demand has caused lithium prices to drop.
Report: Congestion Defeats the Economic Purpose of Cities
Rapid urbanization and over-reliance on the inefficiencies of automobiles has set back the economies of urbanizing locations in the Global South, according to a new report.
Coming Soon: A 3D-Printed Neighborhood
The march of progress continues.
Concrete’s Contribution to the Rise and Decline of Civilization
As the world becomes more encased in concrete, the detrimental effects of its widespread use are increasing in scale and severity.
City of Greenville
City of Greenville
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments (RARE) AmeriCorps Program
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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.
