United Kingdom

Officials in the United Kingdom are looking at a new technique to deal with frozen winter roads -- by collecting and saving summer heat.

April 27, 2008 - The Guardian

England's plans to build 3 million new homes by 2020, and much emphasis has been placed on making them environmentally friendly. The push for "eco-town" draw a strong parallel to the "Garden Cities" of the past.

April 12, 2008 - The Times

London Mayor Ken Livingstone wants to increase the central city's congestion charge from $16 a day to $50. Drivers in the city are not too happy about it.

April 11, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Owners of gas-guzzling SUVs would pay $50 to drive into the central city, while drivers of low emission vehicles would now be exempt from the $16 congestion charge.

April 3, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Pianos have popped up in random public places in Birmingham, England -- a public art installation that passively invites passersby to take a seat and tickle the ivory.

March 23, 2008 - The Guardian

The town of Slough gets no respect, but it's trying.

March 22, 2008 - The New York Times

More and more people are injuring themselves by walking into poles while looking down at their cell phones. This video from ITN News looks at an effort in England to make the streets safer for walking texters.

March 14, 2008 - ITN News via Engadget

A group of mechanical engineers is calling on planners and transportation officials to more aggressively pursue a modal shift from cars to rail to reduce carbon emissions in the UK.

March 5, 2008 - BBC

Prince Charles has initiated an effort to build the world's first "trim town" -- a city form that aims to improve the health of its residents by creating walkable environments.

February 28, 2008 - Scotland on Sunday

Public art in the United Kingdom is coming under increasing scrutiny as artists and the public grapple with the question of who should be memorialized in statue form: significant historical figures or ordinary people?

February 20, 2008 - BBC

Candidates for mayor in London are touting their green credentials in the global city as is continues to win acclaim for progressive and environmentally conscious planning and administration.

February 19, 2008 - BBC

Prominent museum heads in the United Kingdom are calling for greater discretion in the commissioning of public art pieces. They say the latest batch of sculptures are "monsters".

February 16, 2008 - The Times (London)

London is planning a new "superhighway" bicycle network that will help transform it into one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world.

February 12, 2008 - The Guardian

A farmer in England secretly built a mock-Tudor castle on his property and kept it out of view for years by hiding it behind a 40-foot stack of hay bales.

February 8, 2008 - Daily Mail

A new speech by the Prince of Wales this week warns of a "rash" of "carbuncles" destroying tourism assets.

February 3, 2008 - INTBAU News

The world's largest low emission zone will come into effect next week in London.

February 2, 2008 - Reuters via Environmental News Network

On-board shoving and online ranting point to increasing narcissism and incivility in the public realm.

January 29, 2008 - The Guardian

Despite making energy poverty a major domestic policy focus, the British government is being accused of underfunding its program, just as the number of homes living in energy poverty is at its highest level in almost a decade.

January 27, 2008 - The Guardian (UK)

Plans for 250,000 new houses on a floodplain in Britain and broad redevelopment plans in New Orleans have many wondering why planners aren't looking to the flood expertise of the Dutch.

January 21, 2008 - The Guardian

Despite its relatively low car ownership rates, Britain has one of the worst public transit systems and the most congested roads among industrialized nations, according to a a new report.

January 18, 2008 - BBC