Germany

Can America Salvage Its Waste-to-Energy Opportunities?

With 87 total waste-to-energy plants in the U.S., the country is only able to convert 12 percent of its trash to electricity (compared to 38 percent for Germany, for instance). Why is America still sending 55 percent of its trash to landfills?

July 29, 2013 - Governing

German Development Debacles Give Architecture a Bad Name

Architects Christoph Ingenhoven, Meinhard von Gerkan and Pierre de Meuron, designers of three of Germany's most disastrous developments speak about their troubled projects and the damage inflicted on the status of architecture in the country.

June 18, 2013 - Spiegel Online

What Can Northern Europe Teach Us About Building Livable Communities?

In narrative and in images, Luis Rodriguez discusses the findings of a recent study tour to Germany and Scandinavia to discover the secrets to creating more livable communities.

March 19, 2013 - Sustainable Cities Collective

Two Brothers Walk to School

5 Good Reasons Why Children Should Walk To School

Susan Elkin points to alarmingly low statistics on the number of children who walk to school, especially when compared with historic rates. She lays out some “blindingly obvious” and “child-centered” reasons why this trend needs to be reversed.

January 19, 2013 - The Independent

Germany's Transition to Renewables Becomes Political Liability

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is trying to salvage a plan to increase the country's reliance on renewable energy to at least 35 percent by 2020 amid rising energy prices and mounting criticism

November 5, 2012 - The New York Times

Turning Kids Into Planners

An experiment in Germany engages kids to build micro-cities as playgrounds. The idea is coming to downtown Philadelphia.

October 6, 2012 - Next American City

Shadow of the Wall Remains Visible in Still-Divided Berlin

The no man's land once occupied by the Berlin Wall has been the focus of redevelopment efforts for nearly two and a half decades now. But the slow pace of rebuilding means the scars of the Cold War remain visible across the city's landscape.

September 10, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

World's Longest Bus Debuts in Dresden

Described as a "train on wheels," the 98 feet long three-section bus that seats an astonishing 256 passengers is set to hit the streets of Dresden, Germany in October.

August 30, 2012 - tecca

Germany, Japan Increase Coal Burning Post Fukushima

Japan was not the only nation to shutter its nuclear power plants after the March 11, 2011 Fukushima earthquake and tsunami. Germany followed suit. Consequently, both nations have seen a dramatic increase in coal burning, thus increasing emissions.

April 24, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Berlin to Open the Anti-Tivoli

An amusement park in East Berlin, abandoned for the past 11 years, will be reopened this year as a haven for public art, writes Julie Ma.

April 13, 2012 - Good

Threats of Violence Derail Plans For Berlin Urban Think Tank

The BMW Guggenheim Lab, a globe trotting think tank that landed in New York last year will not be making its next scheduled stop in Berlin due to threats, reports Phil Patton.

March 24, 2012 - The New York Times

Why Is Germany Backing off Its Green Energy Promotion?

In one of the countries leading the world in green energy adoption, a program to support solar energy has become a victim of its own success, reports Bjørn Lomborg.

February 28, 2012 - Slate

Growing a Green Roof Movement in America

Metropolis blogger Joseph G. Brin interviews Charlie Miller, P.E., of Roofmeadow, to find out why green roofs have been slow to catch on in the United States.

February 27, 2012 - Metropolis

The German Economic Machine, and Its Implications for America

Frugality, a lack of debt, and a government focused on high production, low inflation and extensive social services are the secrets to providing many Germans with a standard of living higher than Americans making twice as much.

January 26, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Secret Photos of Destroyed Berlin

Spiegel Online has published rarely seen photos of Berlin just a few months after the end of World War Two, depicting the massive destruction of the city.

January 13, 2012 - Spiegel Online

Desertec Leads European Effort to Harness Saharan Solar Energy

A German led initiative called 'Desertec,' aims to provide 15% of Europe's electricity by 2050 through a vast network of solar and wind farms stretching right across the MENA region and connecting to Europe via direct current transmission cables.

December 13, 2011 - The Guardian

Richard Florida's Top Ten "Creative Class" Countries

Richard Florida ranks countries based on the proportion of workers in the 'creative class.' He ranks the U.S. 27th in the world, trailing a top ten including Singapore, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany and Switzerland.

October 5, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Airport Redesign Brings New Park to Berlin

Plans are moving ahead to convert Berlin's Tempelhof airfield into the city's newest park.

August 25, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal

Universal Principles for Creating a Sustainable City

Freiburg, Germany has become a stunning model of sustainability, thanks in part to Wulf Daseking, the city's Head of Urban Planning since 1984. Sven Eberlein vists Daseking in Freiberg for this interview.

August 11, 2011 - Sven Eberlein

Germany Has Fewer Children, More in Poverty

The population of children in Germany continues to fall, and those that exist are increasingly in poverty.

August 4, 2011 - Der Spiegel

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