United States

A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council ranks the cleanest and dirtiest beaches in the U.S. Jessica Camille Aguirre gives an overview of the group’s findings and discovers a less than significant improvement in overall water quality.

June 28, 2012 - NPR

On Friday, the US DOT awarded TIGER 2012 funds to 47 projects totaling $500 million -- far less than the $10.2 billion that was asked for from an astounding 703 applications from all 50 states.

June 28, 2012 - Transportation Nation

June 28, 2012 - John Wilbanks

A unanimous decision by a 3-judge panel affirmed a central 2009 finding of the EPA that greenhouses gases pose a threat to public health, clearing the way for applying regulations controlling their emissions to stationary sources and vehicles.

June 28, 2012 - Reuters

To some, "the suburbs" mean bland neighborhoods outside of a vibrant city life. But demographic and land-use changes are making Lakis Polycarpou and others rethink the definitions of "urban" and "suburban."

June 28, 2012 - POLIS

No, we're not talking about climate change - this list from Business Insider imagines which U.S. cities will be the best cities to live in in the future of 20 years from now.

June 27, 2012 - Business Insider

Anthony Flint reports on the actions of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative lobbying group that is working behind the scenes to weaken the power of local zoning restrictions.

June 27, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

As Baltimore wrestles with the difficult decision between closing fire stations or selling adspace on fire trucks, Michael Cooper reports on an approach more and more cities are taking to curb budget shortfalls.

June 26, 2012 - New York Times

The League of American Bicyclists updated their webpage with a link to the American Community Survey's data on bike and pedestrian commuting for the 70 largest cities and 375 more cities where data was available. Portland, OR and Davis, CA are tops.

June 26, 2012 - League of American Bicyclists

The city recently launched SFBetterStreets.org to be a central source of information to help residents with street improvements like traffic-calming, parklets, bike corrals, plantings, art installations, and sidewalk fixtures.

June 25, 2012 - Streets Blog San Francisco

The federal government gives more research and development subsidies to fossil fuels than clean energy technologies. But, why?

June 24, 2012 - Grist

A young artist in New Orleans launches a social experiment on the built environment, turning the walls of the city's buildings into a public forum.

June 24, 2012 - Next American City

Mike Lydon discusses "tactical urbanism," a DIY approach to planning that is sweeping the nation, and explains how communities are making lasting impacts at the grassroots level.

June 23, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

Ever wonder how maps were made in the decades before vector-based graphics software like Adobe Illustrator were invented? The Atlantic has posted a film from the 1940's that documents the process of "Modern Map Making."

June 22, 2012 - The Atlantic

With the help of 15 architects, the editors and staff of California Home+Design have selected 25 buildings worthy of immediate demolition. See if you agree with their picks.

June 22, 2012 - California Home+Design

Championed for over a decade, the LEED certification program has given notoriety to many newly constructed 'green' buildings, but new measures are helping us measure sustainability at the community scale, writes Kaid Benfield.

June 22, 2012 - Switchboard

As cities across America seek to replicate New York's celebrated new park, Charles A. Birnbaum distills the secrets behind the High Line's success.

June 22, 2012 - Huffington Post

Asian and Hispanic immigration rates have reversed from 2007: Asians now constitute 36% of all new arrivals (legal and illegal) while Hispanic rates, for a number of reasons, have dropped to 31%, according to a new Pew Research Center report.

June 22, 2012 - The New York Times - U.S.

Mixed-income housing - infusing affordable housing with market-rate units - is relying more on incentives and subsidies, than mandates, to stimulate development.

June 21, 2012 - Urban Land

While glimmers of a recovery can be seen in the eyes of private business, local governments continue to see red, shedding hundreds of thousands of jobs.

June 21, 2012 - The New York Times