Sustainability

A Community Built to be Green

The Vauban District in southern Germany is a small community built around a green transportation scheme, but it has become much more: a model of cooperative decision-making, sustainability and eco-planning.

February 5, 2011 - The Cereplast Blog

Sustainability Wins Award for "Jargoniest Jargon"

Advertising Age Magazine singled out "sustainability" as one of the most overused and misused words of the year.

January 7, 2011 - Triple Pundit

Adios Automobile!

TheCityFix looks at the future of the automobile in cities and the possibilities of moving people in to alternative modes in times when car ownership rates are still exploding.

December 9, 2010 - TheCityFix

New LEED Draft Singles Out 'Location and Transportation'

A draft of new LEED requirements has been released for public comment, and it includes a new category that accounts for location and accessibility.

December 8, 2010 - BuildingGreen.com

In Planning for the Future, "Integration Is A Key Means of Moving Towards Sustainability"

Jonna McKone details her case for integrated, systematic approaches to problems in the realms of urban mobility and sustainability. Can seamless connectivity between sectors such as planning, business, and energy create better long-term solutions?

December 7, 2010 - The City Fix

People Won't Care if They Can't See the Problem

It's kind of hard to tell, on a day-to-day basis, that humankind is drastically affecting the health of the environment -- a reality that makes arguing for sustainability even more difficult, according to Harry West.

November 18, 2010 - Fast Co. Design

Washington DC Considers Modifying Height Limit On New Buildings

The 1910 law, responsible for preserving views of the capitol from most roof decks, is being challenged by a small group of architects and developers who believe a modest change would inject vitality, sustainability and revenue into the urban fabric.

November 6, 2010 - The Herald Tribune

EcoDistricts to Rise in Portland

Portland has five "eco-district" pilot projects in the works. The first two are expected to begin implementation over the next year, and organizers are hoping they lead to more sustainability efforts throughout the city.

October 27, 2010 - Sustainable Business Oregon

Portland's EcoDistricts

Launched in 2009 as an effort to choose five neighborhoods where sustainability measures could be quickly implemented and tested out, the city of Portland's EcoDistricts are entering their pilot phase.

October 19, 2010 - Next American City

A 'Network of Sensors' Around the City

An ambitious eco-city is going up in Portugal, complete with a central "brain" that monitors feedback on water, energy and transport systems.

October 12, 2010 - NewScientist

Reframing the Sustainability Argument

This podcast features a discussion with designer Bruce Mau, who talks about sustainability and why he loves the suburbs.

October 9, 2010 - Climate Desk

Seattle's Sustainability Cred Suffering

In the progressive city of Seattle, Worldchanging's Alex Steffen finds the metro area falling behind other American cities with what is becoming an out-dated land use policy.

October 7, 2010 - WorldChanging

West Baltimore's 'Highway to Nowhere' Coming Down

This past Friday, demolition began on a segment of Baltimore's infamous "Highway to Nowhere" to expand parking for the local commuter rail service (MARC). A side benefit: reuniting communities separated since the 1970s.

September 13, 2010 - Office of Govenor Martin O'Malley Press Release

Five State Capitals Chosen by EPA for Greening Efforts

The Environmental Protection Agency has named five state capitals as its first group of cities in a new effort called Greening America's Capitals.

September 12, 2010 - Reuters

In Oregon, Students Seek Key to a Sustainable City

Roughly 600 University of Oregon students will take part in the university's Sustainable Cities Initiative, which pulls together students of architecture, planning, law, journalism and business to make a plan to fix downtown Salem.

August 26, 2010 - New York Times/Greenwire

The Gradual Greening of Canadian Cities

Canadian cities like Montreal and Vancouver are riding the green train, aiming to transform themselves into some of the greenest cities in the world.

August 17, 2010 - The Canadian Press via Yahoo!

Can Preservation and Development Work Together?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has teamed up with The International Living Building Institute have launched a contest to envision future cities using sustainable practices - a move that the NTHP doesn't find at odds with their mission.

July 25, 2010 - Metropolis Magazine

City of Columbus Adopts Far-Reaching Downtown Plan

Building on the urban renaissance of the last decade that saw residential population increase for the first time since 1950, the City of Columbus has set a bold vision for the future with the adoption of the 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan.

July 21, 2010 - The Columbus Dispatch

Sustainable and Obtainable

A new sustainable housing development breaking ground in Oregon has put affordability on the same pedestal as sustainability.

July 21, 2010 - The Oregonian

The Food Element of Sustainability in Baltimore

The City of Baltimore has appointed a new "food czar" to look at food health and access issues in the city. In the broader senses, though, officials in the city look at this new position as a part of their sustainability planning.

July 3, 2010 - Good

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.