United States
Reducing Fuel Consumption: Increase Vehicle Efficiency or Reduce Driving?
NYT Economic Scene columnist Eduardo Porter makes a strong case against the new 54.5 mpg by 2025 fuel efficiency standards, arguing instead for higher gas taxes. Critiquing the piece, Reuter's economics blogger, Felix Salmon calls for both measures.
For Reducing Traffic, Americans Favor Transit Over Roads
Finally, something Red and Blue America can agree on! A new poll published this week by the NRDC shows support for local investment in transit to reduce traffic crosses the country's wide political and geographic divides.
Leading the Rooftop Solar Charge - Chain Retailers?
Sure, they may be doing so for purely financial reasons, but across America, big box stores are leading the way in embracing renewable energy sources, reports Diane Cardwell.
Why Reliance on 'Eds and Meds' Is Misguided
A growing list of cities are banking their economic development on the medical and educational sectors, which have consistently grown over the past few decades. Aaron Renn examines why overreliance on eds and meds is problematic.
Generation Y's Love Affair With Cities Grows, But Will It Last?
As Generation Y-ers (or Millennials) reach maturity, some question the generation's ongoing adoration of the city, and whether it will continue as they begin to marry and raise children.
An Urban Bikeway Design Manual Geared For Today's Cities
The National Association of City Transportation Officials, representing fifteen major American cities, released the second edition of its Urban Bikeway Design Guide on Sept. 6. It includes a new chapter on bicycle boulevards.
How Has 9/11 Changed America's Built Environment?
On this sombre anniversary, we bring you an article that was published last year by Kaid Benfield, looking at the legacy of 9/11 for community & the built environment.
Facing the Hard Facts of Economic Development
Can community building deliver more jobs than trying to lure back an industrial sector that's been leaving the U.S. for decades?
Are Democrats Really the Party of Urban America?
Will Doing wonders why, at the Democratic National Convention last week, the challenges facing cities, and the benefits they bring to the country, were never mentioned.
Cycling Renaissance Races Across America
From coast to coast, cities across the United States are experiencing a rise in bicycling. Local governments are leading the peloton, with cycle-friendly policies and increases in government funding spurring a municipal pedal pursuit.
Presidential Candidates Address Climate Change
The Democratic and Republican presidential candidates could not have more different approaches to climate change. Mitt Romney joked about it in his acceptance speech at the Republican convention while President Obama vowed to reduce carbon pollution
With Town Center Projects, Can the Suburbs Challenge Cities Yet Again?
Chasing the widespread interest in city living, developers are exporting mixed-use urbanism to the suburbs and exurbs as "town center" projects, prompting Jonathan O’Connell to ask if "a city can be a city if it’s built in the middle of a cornfield."
It May Be Choking Our Environment and Economy, but Sprawl Sure is Pretty
German photographer Christoph Gielen has trained his artistic eye on America's suburbs, capturing aerial images of sprawl "in all its geometric glory" in order to "startle the viewers," reports Ariel Schwartz.
Want to Triple Highway Capacity? Put Robot Cars on the Road
A new study on the potential benefits of autonomous cars concludes that "platooning" self-driving vehicles could increase highway efficiency by 273 percent, reports Devin Coldewey.
America's Most Diverse Cities
A new study out today ranks America's cities by their racial diversity. In general, the study found that "the country has become much more diverse at the metropolitan level," reports Conor Dougherty.
Transit Wins at Job Creation Game
Blogging on HuffPo, Greg LeRoy, director of Good Jobs First, makes the case that transit, transit oriented development and smart growth are key factors in job growth.
Housing Mobility Provides a Prescription for Healthy Living
Moving families from segregated, high poverty neighborhoods, into desegregated "areas of opportunity" has multiple effects. Housing mobility programs help revitalize communities and improve the physical and mental health of families involved.
Democratic Platform: Strong on Sustainability, Short on Transportation Specifics
With the Democratic convention underway in Charlotte, Streetsblog's Tanya Snyder looks for the transportation element in their platform, but finds it lacking. Sustainability refers to the economy, not to financing the infrastructure investments.
We Built This: Keeping Score of America's Stadium Spending Spree
To the tune of at least $4 billion in tax exemptions, America's taxpayers have collectively subsidized the construction of sports venues across the country, for the benefit of sports owners' bottom line. Are we getting our money's worth?
Aging Boomers Changing the Shape of Cities Across America
It's not just the Sun Cities of America that are planning for how to meet the needs of the country's coming bulge in its over-65 population. Ryan Holeywell highlights how some cities are adapting their built environments for an aging population.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
