United States
8 Republicans Bucking the Party on Climate Change and Transit
Reps. Mack (CA), Kirk (IL) and Reichert (WA) are among a small group of Republicans who voted for the recent climate change bill. It turns out these eight are also supporters of transit. Streetsblog makes the connection.
Growing Fast and Riding the Momentum
The U.S. Census Bureau recently released a list of the fastest-growing cities, in terms of population growth. Those on the list are hoping their growth will pull them through the recession.
A Tour of America's Nuclear History
The Hanford Nuclear Reservation is called the nation's most contaminated place, with pits containing nuclear waste like plutonium. It's also a historic site in terms of America's dabblings with nuclear weaponry, and now it's open for tours.
New Power Grid Would Slice Through Rural Areas
Expanding America's power grid to connect wind and solar power plants to the urban areas they fuel will require thousands of miles of transmission lines. Most of it will be built in rural areas where locals are not likely to be very welcoming.
6,000 Parking Spots, 20,000 Cars
That's the ratio on summer weekends downtown in Newport, Rhode Island. A coalition of local businesses, advocates and city officials are brainstorming solutions.
Should We Plan Cities To Be Temporary?
Eoin O'Carroll, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, notes the plans to bulldoze neighborhoods in decaying American cities and wonders if all this waste couldn't be avoided in the future by building more pre-fab houses.
Ways to Retrofit the City
You don't have to tear a city down to make it green, according to this piece from the Boston Globe, which offers some emerging ideas.
Cash-Strapped Cities Ditch Fourth of July Fireworks
Tight budgets are causing cities across the country to skip fireworks displays for their Fourth of July celebrations.
Breaking Out of Silos and Across Borders
With interdepartmental cooperation blossoming within the Obama administration, Neal Peirce wonders how things will shake down when policies hit metropolitan regions -- and the municipal borders that can impede and confuse policy.
City People Do-It-Themselves
This post from The New York Times' blog examines how city government's are increasingly relying on automated services to keep order and boost revenue, and how citizens are reacting.
Good Parks Good for Urban Economies
Anne Schwartz compiles recent studies on the economic value of parks, describing how an investment in parks by the city will result in a healthier urban economy.
Air in Hundreds of Neighborhoods Carries Elevated Risk of Cancer
Residents in 600 American neighborhoods are breathing air with levels of pollution that put them at an elevated risk of developing cancer.
Gasping for Air in America
Next American City's Hamida Kinge reviews the "State of the Air" report from the American Lung Association and finds dire news for the majority of Americans.
Bike Arcing
A new system of bike storage debuts in Palo Alto and Redwood City, CA next week. The Bike Arc aims to be more elegant and space-saving than the standard U-shaped rack.
Suburbs are Growing Faster
A report from the US Census Bureau shows that the nation continues to suburbanize.
Rep. Blumenauer Touts Cap and Trade
U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer expresses his support for the American Clean Energy and Security Act as the House of Representatives prepares for a vote.
Megaregions and Megaproblems
As America's metropolitan areas meld into "megaregions", officials and policymakers will need to figure out how to deal with their shared and growing infrastructure problems. Consider the ball rolling.
The Most Dangerous Neighborhood in the U.S.
NeighborhoodScout.com used GIS and FBI data from 17,000 local law enforcement agencies to compile its list of the 25 worst neighborhoods for crime in the country.
Obama's Weatherization Program in Action
Van Jones tours a weatherization project in D.C., part of the $5 billion the Obama Administration is putting into weatherization projects to cut energy costs. (VIDEO)
Convention Centers Not Living Up to Expectations
In this article from Next American City, Josh Stephens looks at the role convention centers play in cities, the high hopes cities have for them, and the often poor returns they offer.
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
