United States
Economic Troubles for Low-Income Families ... and the Services They Depend On
This piece from Color Lines looks at how the economic downturn is affecting low-income populations, and how social services are having trouble keeping up with an increasing demand for help.
Successful Cities and Green Jobs
This week's episode of Smart City explores what makes a city successful and tracks the future of the green job market.
Green School Building Bill Passes House
The Democrats of the U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill that would create a green school building program in the U.S., investing more than $6 billion in its first year to build more environmentally friendly schools.
What Happened to America's Trains?
In an age of rapid technological improvements in almost every aspect of life, it's difficult to understand how a technology like trains could actually be less advanced now than it was in the 1940s, writes Tom Vanderbilt.
The Noise of Online Collaboration
Beth Noveck, deputy director for Open Government in the Obama Administration, talks about dealing with the noise of online collaboration and how to make social networks functional for civic participation.
Friday Funny: Detroit's Newest Slum Unveiled
The Onion reports on the "window-shattering ceremony" officially opening Detroit's newest slum, a neighborhood designed with the "latest in high-risk, hopelessly impoverished housing options."
Meet Peter Rogoff, Obama Pick to Head FTA
...or not. Only 3 senators bothered to show up for his confirmation hearing. The discussion centered around the failure of the FTA to get funding to ailing transit systems across the country.
Brainstorm: What Should Cities Do With Their Newly Empty Car Lots?
With the auto industry struggling and car dealerships closing shop, what future do you see for empty car lots? Vote on ideas submitted by the Planetizen community, or suggest your own.
Guiding the Next Federal Transportation Spending Bill
Legislation is being introduced in Congress to guide the course of the next five years of federal transportation spending, focusing on reducing per capita vehicle miles traveled and decreasing truck freight shipping.
Population Growth Slows for Asians and Hispanics
Minorities are on the rise in the U.S., but the rates of growth for Hispanics and Asians are slowing down, according to recent Census figures.
Retrofitting for Regional Government
Anthony Flint says that we have a lot of work ahead of us to retrofit America for the next century, from replacing water heaters to replacing old government structures with new, more regional ones.
A House Bill for More Parking Spaces?
Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) is sponsoring the bill, with the goal of creating more parking spaces for big rigs in cities.
Cities Focus on Existing Buildings To Save Energy
Old buildings could be to blame for much of a city's energy waste. That's the case in New York, where officials are putting together a plan to retrofit older buildings to be less wasteful.
Vacant Storefronts Sell Space for Ads
Crushed by the falling economy, failing retail spaces are renting their storefronts to make a some extra cash.
Best American Cities for Walking
Prevention magazine has pulled together a list of the top 25 American cities for walking.
Stimulus Trickles Down For CDBGs
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has set aside $980 million for Community Development Block Grants, which will be split among 1,200 governments.
Don't Forget the Garbage
Using waste to create alternative energy is a strategy the Obama administration is neglecting, says North America’s largest garbage hauler Waste Management Inc.
Small Towns Work to Keep Young Population
Towns in East Texas have watched their children graduate high school and leave town for generations- in some towns, up to 90% of graduates flee. Job development is key to keeping the kids down on the farm, but older locals balk at growth.
Electricity from Biomass More Efficient than Ethanol
A new study by researchers at the University of California, Merced suggests that using biomass to create electricity to power cars could be more efficient than using the same biomass to create ethanol to power cars.
Build Smarter: Learning from the Housing Bust
Builder Magazine presents six lessons for builders to learn from the housing bust, including 'limit your land holdings', 'build smarter', and 'diversify beyond new-home construction'.
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
