United States
The Government Greens Its Real Estate
The Public Buildings Service, which is responsible for charging and collecting rent on 9,600 public buildings across the 50 states, has been asked to go green by retrofitting and smartening its aging buildings.
Could More Tolling Replace the Gas Tax?
Melissa Lafsky at The Infrastructurist poses the question. With raising the gas tax a political impossibility, how can we repair our ailing infrastructure? A lot more toll roads, says Lafsky.
The Most Dangerous Road in Georgia
Blueprint America reports from suburban Atlanta, where getting to the other side of the road is nothing to take for granted.
Underwater Homeowners Taking New Gambles on Real Estate
The Wall St. Journal reports that some homeowners are selling their underwater homes at a loss and turning right around and investing in new homes with lower mortgage rates and getting more house in the process.
Bike Advocacy Rule #1: Show Up!
Bike Blogger Richard Masoner offers some tips on how to successfully advocate for effective bicycle facilities, covering the gamut from bike parking to placement of bike sharrows.
Parts of U.S. at 'Extreme' Risk of Drying Out
A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that many parts of the Great Plains and the Southwest U.S. are facing severe water shortages in the near future.
Senate Abandons Climate Bill...Now What?
On July 22, the congressional attempt to pass comprehensive climate change legislation officially ended for the year. That day the World Resources Institute unveiled a report assessing carbon reductions possible under existing federal and state law.
High Speed Rail Puts Hurt on Freight
The emphasis on high speed rial in the U.S. overlooks the potential harm it could cause to the nation's powerful freight rail system, according to this piece from The Economist.
Pockets of Youth in Rural America
Most of rural America is getting older. But not all of it.
Facing the 'Generational Mismatch'
Two age groups are rapidly growing in the U.S.: baby boomers and minors under 18. The difference is that one group is primarily white, while the other is overwhelmingly not.
Can Preservation and Development Work Together?
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has teamed up with The International Living Building Institute have launched a contest to envision future cities using sustainable practices - a move that the NTHP doesn't find at odds with their mission.
Cities Adjusted to Attract the Elderly
America is aging. 'By 2030, nearly 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older.' This aging population has significant clout. Nearly one third of the population is over 50, and they control half the country's discretionary spending.
The Civic Divide Between Quantity and Quality
Aaron M. Renn dissects the "Venus-Mars" split between the high quality and high quantity model and argues that "an hourglass America is not one most of us want to live in for the long term."
Not Enough T in the DOT?
The federal government is paying more attention to the land use impacts of the transportation projects it's funding. Next American City's Yonah Freemark worries they may be paying too much attention.
Good Capitalists and the Meltdown
Suburbia has brainwashed Americans into being good capitalists, which brought about the economic crisis, according to neo-Marxist economic geographer David Harvey.
Several CA Cities On "Least Educated Cities" List
The Huffington Post uses numbers from The Brookings Institution to look at the ten cities with the lowest percentage of bachelor's degrees in the nation. Half of them are in California.
A Snapshot of Contemporary Land Use in America
This slideshow from Dwell gives a sneak peek at a new group art exhibit in New York that documents contemporary land use in America.
$77 Billion Needed to Fix U.S. Transit
A new study by the Federal Transit Administration sets the price tag for getting the U.S.'s transit infrastructure up to snuff at 77.7 billion dollars.
Privatizing Local Civic Services to Save Cash
Cities across the country are being forced to outsource or privatize many of their basic civic services like janitors, police and trash collectors due to huge budget deficits. The moves are saving millions.
Stepping Warily into the World of Form-Based Codes
Citywide form-based codes are gaining in popularity, with Miami's recently implemented code and a new code in Denver. But some architects worry about if and how these new codes will impact their work and the look of their cities.
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
