United States
USGBC Sued Over LEED Certification
Henry Gifford, an energy-efficient building expert in NYC, challenges the LEED certification standards in an acrimonious lawsuit against the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
The Ponzi Scheme that Created the Suburbs
Charles Marohn explains how cities and towns failed to consider the future expense of expanded infrastructure to new suburban developments.
Why is it Taking So Long to Replace the Tappan Zee?
The Tappan Zee Bridge, which crosses the Hudson, is falling apart at the seams. So why is it taking so long to repair?
The Truth About Energy Efficiency
The truth is, it works: a new report shows that energy efficiency standards placed on utilities result in less demand and greater savings.
National Trust Picks Most Endangered Places for 2011
The National Trust for Historic Preservation releases a list each year highlighting their Top 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. This year's list includes buttes, hospitals, forts, alleys and John Coltrane's home in Dix Hills, New York.
Breaking out of the Single-Family Home "Box"
An editorial from John McManus at Big Builder Online says that the downturn in the economy is pushing developers to break out of the single-family housing box and experiment with mixed-use.
The "Trivial Profession" of Urban Planning
In the new book of essays Reconsidering Jane Jacobs, Thomas J. Campanella says that noteworthy to practicing planners in 2011 is the final essay by Thomas J. Campanella wonders if urban planning is at risk of becoming trivial.
Realizing Fast-Forward Urbanism
Top-down and bottom-up planning are brushed aside in favor of the concept of a middle ground approach in the new book "Fast-Forward Urbanism: Rethinking Architecture's Engagement with the City". It could work, according to this review.
Misinterpreting Metrics in List of 'Dying' Cities
In this post on The Infrastructurist, Peter Kageyama looks at a recent listing of 10 "dying" cities, and how the metrics used to rate these places can be and have been misinterpreted.
FTA Emphasizes the Importance of Upkeep on Transit Systems
As city budgets get slashed, repairing and maintaining transit systems can fall down the list of necessary expenditures. The FTA this morning announced assistance programs for "good repair."
The Importance of Corners
Chuck Wolfe focuses on the role of the urban corner, terming it "the central place of urban life".
Frederick Law Olmsted, Close Up
Michael J. Lewis reviews a new biography of Frederick Law Olmsted, which he says reveals new facts about the man who coined the term "landscape architect."
Internet Users in Public Spaces
Anthony Townsend comments on a recent study that is wary of wireless access in public spaces. He says the study has an outdated understanding of how people use spaces today.
Sneeze Cities
This post from Mother Nature Network lists the 12 cities that are the worst for allergy sufferers.
How Taxi Data Can Help Solve Public Transit Problems
Data on taxi pick-up and drop-off points can be a useful tool to better understand urban mobility, and how taxis can function as an aspect of public transportation, according to this post.
The True History of America's Interstate Highways
The Dwight D. Eisenhower System of Interstate and Defense Highways was actually the idea of an earlier president, according to this history of highways posted on The Infrastructurist.
GM's CEO says, "Increase the Gas Tax"
General Motors CEO Dan Akerson told The Detroit News that he wants the gas tax boosted to "nudge" consumers towards more fuel-efficient cars.
Good News for Metro DC, Says Richard Florida
The same economic reports from May (namely, the jobs report and the Home Price Index) that have led to some concern about the direction of the U.S. economy overall, tell a very different story about Wahington DC, according to Richard Florida.
Innovative Designs for Car Parks
Donovan Gillman writes that since most of us can't simply get by without cars, we need "more livable and likable places to park them." His post at Sustainable Cities Collective includes photos of some interesting car parks.
Kotkin Compares California to Iran
Calling California's attempts at environmental responsibility a "green jihad," Joel Kotkin argues that the state's "ideological extremism" has led to illogical economic and political decisions - similar to those made in the Islamic Republic of Iran.
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
