United States

Does public art make a difference, and how? ASLA's The Dirt blog looks at all the ways public art is effective, from job creation and real estate value to cultural cache and tourism.

April 20, 2011 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Grocery stores are having a renaissance, with new, smaller stores being built in urban areas and new ideas in store layout and design to attract pedestrians, not just drivers.

April 20, 2011 - Urban Land

In Napa Valley, California, land is at a premium. Startup solar companies saw potential in underused bodies of water and developed floating solar panel arrays to meet the need.

April 20, 2011 - The New York Times

Malcolm Gladwell and others attest to the effectiveness of working in restaurants, coffee shops and bars, and why it works.

April 19, 2011 - The Atlantic

Styled after Harper's Index, this "Localism Index" suggests that local economies and independent businesses might just be making a comeback.

April 19, 2011 - The Nation

Rick Scott's general counsel, Charles Trippe, admitted that he "misrepresented a central fact" to support the governor's rejection of federal funds for HSR. This fact could lead to a reopening of the case, according to The Infrastructurist.

April 19, 2011 - The Infrastructurist

Congressional budget cuts spare some favorite programs of transportation reformers and smart growth advocates.

April 19, 2011 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

The EPA is moving its regional headquarters from downtown Kansas City (Kansas) to a suburb 20 miles outside the city, a move which "could nearly triple transportation carbon emissions associated with the facility," according to Kaid Benfield.

April 18, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

The 72 hour event is intended to challenge the idea that creating change in public space is long and difficult, explains the event's founder, Karem Halbrecht.

April 18, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

U.S. Green Building Council has launched another refinement of its certification system aimed specifically at green building for healthcare.

April 18, 2011 - Earth Techling

Revitalizing American manufacturing is widely-acknowledged as vital to our country’s economic recovery and long-term prosperity, but it is equally essential to understand the changing of this sector in order to make smart policy decisions.

April 17, 2011 - Brookings Institution/Pratt Center for Community Development

The case of Buchanan v. Warley, decided in 1916, set an important precedent: it forbade zoning restrictions based on race.

April 16, 2011 - PDI Advisor

In Toronto, a developer is balking at the zoning that would force him to build a podium-style building out to the sidewalk, and wants to build a park with a tower instead. Can open space and density coexist?

April 15, 2011 - The Trust for Public Land

Kaid Benfield gets philosophical about the turn of the seasons, writing that it's "not just nature that renews itself", but the city floods with people that had been hiding inside through the inclement weather.

April 15, 2011 - SustainableCitiesCollective

Grist points to a new series of blog posts offering step-by-step instructions on how to get a crosswalk installed in your neighborhood.

April 15, 2011 - Grist

Cities across the country are re-utilizing brownfield sites as solar farms.

April 15, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

The demands of the housing market are shifting to smaller homes that are in denser locations and closer to jobs, according to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors.

April 14, 2011 - The Atlantic

This post from Shareable lists the top ten American transit cities, as chosen by U.S. News and World Report, and three runner-up cities.

April 14, 2011 - Shareable

The law signed yesterday by Governor Jerry Brown was touted by US Energy Secretary Steven Chu as "a model for other states."

April 14, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

A new study out of Stanford University found that individuals are more likely to install solar panels if their neighbors have them.

April 13, 2011 - GOOD Magazine