United States
More Hybrid Cars Available, But Fewer People are Buying Them
2009 may have been the peak year for hybrid vehicle sales as a percentage of total sales, despite the addition of 23 models available to consumers, reports CNNMoney. The current price of fuel does not justify the premium price paid for these models.
Partisanship Stalls Infrastructure Investment, Says Blumenauer
Congressional support for transportation and infrastructure projects has traditionally been bipartisan. In an interview, Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon discusses how political tantrums in Congress may handicap the US in the long run.
Sprawl is Holding the Recovery Back
A new report from Strong Towns Initiative argues that sprawl-friendly policies and overbuilt infrastructure are keeping the economy from properly recovering.
Dwindling Dollars for Dam Safety
New requirements have made safety officials more aware of the safety issues surrounding the U.S.'s 84,000 dams. Problem is, there are fewer funds available to fix the mounting problems they find.
Steve Jobs' Legacy and the Return of Civic Beauty
Planners, architects, and developers made America ugly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, opines Ross Douthat. In this piece, he questions whether or not the aesthetic revival led by Steve Jobs could be applied to our buildings and spaces.
New Climate Change Guidelines Will Impact Bay Area Development
Recognizing the inevitability of sea level rise and vulnerability of much of the Bay Area, the region has adopted the first climate adaptation rules in the nation. Building along the shores of S.F. Bay remains possible.
Outrageous Skate Park Planned for Under Manhattan Bridge
Architecture for Humanity has asked 9 design firms to dream up an upgrade for Coleman Oval Skate Park, which is located directly underneath the Manhattan Bridge.
Architecture and Development Best Practiced Together
An interview with architect and developer Marcel Wisznia on why architects should develop their own projects.
California and the Northeast Corridor are Key to High-Speed Rail's Success
Anthony Flint of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy says the way to save high-speed rail policy is to focus on getting the two trains with the best chance of success on track.
What Would Happen If All Public Transportation Stopped?
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) released its 2011 Urban Mobility Report, which shows how many additional hours in traffic each commuter would be subject to if public transportation were discontinued.
A Place for "Potentially Offensive Place Names"
What's in a name? Apparently, reports Kim Severson, some not-so-subtle reminders of a segregated American landscape. And changing them is not easy."The United States Board on Geographic Names, the federal agency that maintains the official names of m
Is The Creative Class Fading?
Scott Timburg labels Richard Florida overly optimistic and blames the media for not portraying the 'fading creative class,' because their recession pain has not been sufficiently dramatic.
Will Extreme Engineering Save The Planet From Climate Change?
More precisely, will "geoengineering" or "climate remediation" be able to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere? A new panel of climate experts will investigate.
Looking to Catalyst Projects to Revitalize Cities
Atlanta's BeltLine is a great example of a big "catalyst project," writes Ryan Gravel, which repurposes a 22-mile railroad into a linear park. Other cities can follow suit.
Supreme Court Rebuffs Natl. Assoc. of Home Builders
The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request by the National Association of Home Builders to hear their lawsuit against the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's use of the 'indirect source rule', better known as a 'smog fee'.
The Most Dangerous Cities in the United States
While many stories have been written about Detroit's turnaround, it took the top spot on Forbes list of most dangerous cities. Detroit had 1,111 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents, which included 345 murders, writes John Giuffo.
APA Picks 10 Great Places In America: Public Spaces
Every year the APA reveals a list of great public spaces in America. Bicentennial Capitol Mall Park in Tennessee is just one of they have chosen. Other places include Milwaukee RiverWalk in Wisconsin and Monument Circle in Indiana.
New MIT Data Analysis Tool Aims To Rationalize Planning
Andres Sevstuk, lecturer at MIT and head of the City Form Research Group describes how the new Urban Network Analysis toolbox is "taking a much more rigorous approach to look at the work of urban design."
Can the Building Industry Reinvent the Single-Family Home?
Allison Arieff says it is high time that the "dumb box" that makes up the majority of suburban housing be rethought to meet the needs of a new generation, presenting a small handful of homebuilders that are making an effort.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
