United States

According to a new report from Climate Central, your EV is only as clean as the power plant used to generate the electricity it runs on. Furthermore, due to the huge carbon cost of batteries, a hybrid may be more climate-friendly than a plug-in.

August 15, 2013 - The Seattle Times

Forget reducing congestion and improving the environment; a new paper makes perhaps the strongest argument yet for investing in public transit based on its ability to agglomerate, or cluster people together, raising wages and productivity.

August 14, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Tanya Snyder wades into the ongoing discussion over whether America's urban revival can be sustained, a question that essentially hinges on whether cities are creating an attractive alternative to the suburbs for raising children.

August 14, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

With strained water supplies a growing problem throughout the Southwestern U.S., cities from Austin to Los Angeles are using carrots and sticks to coax homeowners into adopting drought-resistant landscapes. Not all are pleased to see the grass go.

August 14, 2013 - The New York Times

A new report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service tracks trends in the size and production of the country's farms. Even though the size of the average farm has steadily increased, "there are more small farms than ever."

August 13, 2013 - The Washington Post

Each month new research emerges linking public health with the built environment. Yet just a small fraction of healthcare spending goes toward reducing our exposure to unhealthy environments. Under the Affordable Care Act, that could soon change.

August 13, 2013 - SvR Design Company Blog

While protected bike lanes have yet to be recognized by AASHTO, they are en route to being recognized by US DOT, writes Green Lane Project's Michael Andersen. With federal guidance, transportation engineers may be more willing to build cycle tracks.

August 12, 2013 - Green Lane Project

Sarah Goodyear describes the greater implications of the carnage caused by a motorist intent on mowing down as many pedestrians as possible on the Venice boardwalk in L.A. on August 03. It wasn't the first time a car caused mayhem in a public space.

August 10, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

In the hip neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Seattle, and Denver, a silver tsunami is joining, and often forcing out, tattooed and mustachioed Millennials, as retiring Baby Boomers increasingly embrace urban living.

August 10, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

Streetsblog is running a humorous, and sadly disturbing, competition to find the most moronic statements uttered by state and local transportation officials. Meet North America's "Motor Mouths".

August 9, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

The results of a recent survey indicate the primary reasons for the steady decline in the number of young Americans getting drivers' licenses. Hint: the top reason isn't that it costs too much to own a car.

August 8, 2013 - The Washington Post

As D.C. debates the value of subsidizing the construction of a soccer stadium on a site in Buzzard Point, Dan Malouff argues that such facilities should be judged as cultural amenities, rather than business investments.

August 8, 2013 - Greater Greater Washington

In a speech yesterday, President Obama announced his long-awaited proposals for reforming America's housing and mortgage markets in the aftermath of the Great Recession. Observers criticized his mixed message on renting and homeownership.

August 7, 2013 - The New York Times

In a recent column in The Times, Thomas Friedman exalted America's metropolitan revolution. But in cities like Chicago, the 'most exciting innovations in governance' have failed to improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of residents.

August 7, 2013 - Chicago Reader

At the same time that vehicular fatalities have ridden a decade-long decline in the U.S., a troubling trend has seen pedestrian fatalities increase. A $2 million U.S. DOT grant program will target 22 cities with acute pedestrian safety problems.

August 7, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a 'broad decline' in childhood obesity rates among poor children in the United States. Could the country be turning a corner in its battle against childhood obesity?

August 6, 2013 - The New York Times

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman looks at two great American cities, one losing population for decades and now filed for bankruptcy, the other growing rapidly but through sprawl, not smart growth. Yet Atlanta suffers lower social mobility.

August 4, 2013 - The New York Times - The Opinion Pages

Inequality is alive, well, and growing in the U.S. As President Obama indicated in a speech last week, it's a problem the country must address. First, says Eduardo Porter, will need to articulate the problem to build the consensus needed to solve it.

August 3, 2013 - The New York Times

Four former EPA heads in Republican administrations, from Richard Nixon to George W. Bush, have penned an op-ed in The Times calling on members of all parties to support President Obama's recent climate initiatives and do more to curtail warming.

August 2, 2013 - The New York Times

For its fourth annual list of the best college towns in America, Livability looked beyond the experiences of students to the relationship between colleges and the surrounding community, and to opportunities for the former to transition to the latter.

August 2, 2013 - Livability