United States
Could the Humble Heat Pump Be a Decarbonization Hero?
Buildings are responsible for a little less than half of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. Break this figure down further and you'll find that building heating accounts for about a fifth of all U.S. emissions.
Sustainable for Whom? Large-Scale Urban Development Projects and 'Environmental Gentrification'
Large, adaptive-reuse projects are all the rage in urban planning today, but absent a fundamentally new approach—with affordability at the center of the process—they are likely to become engines of what's been termed "environmental gentrification."
Planning Utopia: Revisiting Thomas More's Classic
In this second installment of a three-part review of Thomas More's Utopia in its 500th anniversary year, L.A. area planner Jodie Sackett looks at More's ideas for planning a Utopian city. Do More's ideas have current relevance?
On the Rise of the Diverging Diamond Interchange
Its design can appear baffling at first, but the DDI presents drivers with far fewer opportunities to collide with each other than traditional four-way intersections.
How the National Flood Insurance Program Sabotaged Itself
Having charged low rates during years of bumper development, the National Flood Insurance Program worked at cross-purposes with itself while development continued on.
Disregarding Trump, Corporations Adopt Internal Carbon Pricing
A new report from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions reveals that over 1,200 global and domestic companies, recognizing the threat of climate change, are either pricing emissions or considering it.
Solar Power Beats DOE Cost Targets Three Years Early
With a set of 2020 affordability targets met three years early, the DOE can turn its attention to reliability, resilience, and storage.
Is This How Millennials Prefer Their Suburbs?
As more young people express a preference for suburban life, Alan M. Berger gives us a vision of tomorrow's suburbs: smart and sustainable, but still spread out.
From Buses to Trains, Renewable Diesel Catches On in California
For almost two years, MUNI's diesel-powered buses in San Francisco have run entirely on renewable diesel fuel. Diesel-powered Amtrak trains running from San Jose to Sacramento could be next.
Will Americans Ever Move Out of Flood-Prone Areas?
After a series of hurricanes, experts discuss how guide people out of the way of the most deadly floods and storms.
National or Regional? Finding American Identity in Architecture
In an extended discussion, Keith Eggener examines what it means for a work of architecture to be "naturally" American, and why looking at modern American styles through an intensively regional lens may be unhelpful.
Apple Stores to Become 'Town Squares?'
James Vincent finds the claim that Apple stores are on their way to becoming "town squares" laughably pretentious.
How Overly Restrictive Land Use Regulations Hurt the Nation's Economy
Two economics professors from the University of Chicago and the University of California, Berkeley argue that the housing crisis doesn't just affect booming coastal cities. It's a national problem.
Severe Fires After a Wet Winter? Experts Cite Climate Change
In the Western states, an especially hot summer stoked the yearly blazes, to many experts' surprise. For some, bigger wildfires are a "canary in the coal mine" for climate change.
Trump Administration Issues New Rules for Self-Driving Cars
The U.S. Department of Transportation has updated its voluntary guidelines for companies looking to test self-driving cars.
Homeland Security Advisor Recognizes Effects of Climate Change, Ignores Causes
In response to a question linking Hurricanes Irma and Harvey to climate change, White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert appeared to recognize the need to adapt. He qualified his statement regarding the "cause" of said climate change.
Where Cities Have Helped Walkers
Laura Laker surveys efforts to make cities more walkable, from Melbourne's converted alleys to Guangzhou's 60-mile ecological corridor.
Study: Warm Weather Is a Factor in Increased Road Deaths
A downward trend in deaths from car crashes reversed sharply in 2015. Many blamed cell phones and the distractions they can cause, but a recent study complicates that hypothesis.
When Cyclists Break Traffic Laws for Their Own Safety
A study examines whether and why bicyclists break traffic laws to shed light on how rational those laws really are.
College Campuses Prepare for a Future Without Parking
Some college campuses need more parking than others, depending on commuting rates and walkable housing supply. Some campus planners are hoping, however, that soon all universities will need a lot less parking.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
