World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
An App to Map Free Urban Snacks
A map and website developed by PhD student Ethan Welty and friend Caleb Philip catalogs the cornucopia of edible trees found in the "urban orchards" of two-dozen cities around the world.
Ikea Unleashes its Flat Pack Expertise on Emergency Shelters
A cheap, solar-powered hut designed by Ikea, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, promises to revolutionize emergency housing for displaced persons.
UNESCO World Heritage List Welcomes New Destinations
Japan's Mt. Fuji, Italy's Medici Villas and Gardens, and a historical port town in Fiji are among the 19 new additions to UNESCO's vaunted World Heritage List; bringing to 981 the number of cultural, natural, and mixed sites comprising the list.
Urban Design in the New Soft City
Carl Skelton argues that the public needs new tools of citizenship to participate fully in the digital cities of the near future.
Why We'll Likely See a Lot More Urban-Oriented Protests in the Future
If there's one common thread uniting the recent protests in Brazil and Turkey, it's the growing inequality evident in cities, and the inability (or disinterest) of the public sector in bridging that gap through public services.
The World's Best in Progressive Bike Infrastructure
From car-shaped shelters for cargo bikes in Copenhagen to a bike path that runs through the middle of one of Amsterdam's most visited museums, Sarah Goodyear surveys some of the most innovative bicycle infrastructure projects in the world.
Climate Adaptation: Is Miami Indefensible?
In advance of President Obama's long-awaited speech on climate change, NPR looked at climate adaptation - preparing for the environmental changes it will cause. Rising sea level is the topic. In the U.S., two cities stand out: New York and Miami.
How the Internet is Helping Cities in the Western World to Loosen Up
While cities in the developing world embrace the chaos and risk inherent in their informal landscapes, the Western world excels at regulation. But this dynamic is starting to change, to the dismay of incumbent industries and establishment regulators.
Eat the City: The Art of Urban Farming
Architectural historian Richard Ingersoll surveys creative 'civic agriculture' projects in the United States and Europe where abandoned lots have been transformed into edible landscapes.
Three Everyday Ways to Inspire Urban Change
Chuck Wolfe suggests three, perhaps non-traditional ideas for how to inspire acceptance of change in our cities through accessible experiences.
Friday Eye Candy: A Billion-Pixel Panorama of Mars
The Mars Curiosity Rover has sent us some pretty cool stuff since landing on the red planet in August of 2012. The latest souvenir of its trip is a billion-pixel panorama of the planet's surface.
Temporary Camps Become Permanent Cities for Refugees
Published to coincide with World Refugee Day, Smithsonian has assembled an interactive map of the 50 largest refugee camps in the world. Many of the camps, which together house 1.9 million people, are comparable in size to medium-sized U.S. cities.
Regulating Diesel Emissions: An Environmental Twofer
This toxic emission is not only a threat to public health but also the second largest contributor to global warming, according to CARB. A new study has found that regulations to reduce diesel emissions fight both climate change and air pollution.
The Ideal City is....an Equation?
What is the apt metaphor for a city? Machines? Insect colonies? In a new paper, physicist Luis Bettencourt says that if we look to the function of cities we find that they're essentially social reactors that obey universal mathematical parameters.
15 Innovative Policies Any City Would be Wise to Steal
A new report prepared to inspire NYC's next mayor examines 15 'game-changing reforms' that have been implemented in cities around the world, and could be adapted to help solve New York's most pressing challenges.
Green Carrot Incentivizes More Efficient Buildings; Will Owners and Utilities Bite?
Felicity Barringer looks at an innovative program being tested in Seattle to incentivize commercial property owners to undertake major energy efficiency retrofits. A partnership between skeptical building owners, investors, and utilities is key.
U.S. Military's Next Mission: A Livability Offensive
In the first entry in a series exploring the U.S. military's embrace of smart growth planning for its bases, Tanya Snyder looks at the United Facilities Criteria (UFC) for Installation Master Planning - the military's mixed-use marching orders.
London’s Lived-In Look
London calling! PlaceMaker Hazel Borys fuses her passions for great cities, efficient transit, civic art and form-based coding into one lavishly documented examination of the English capital. Cheers, mates!
Designing a Divorce? What It's Like to Work With a Spouse
Spurred by the simmering debate over whether Denise Scott Brown deserves recognition from the Pritzker Prize for her work with her husband Robert Venturi, Justin Davidson explores the nature of designing with your life partner.
Turning an Eye on Big Brother
Ever wonder just how many prying eyes are watching you as you amble down a city street? A new app seeks to develop a comprehensive catalog of Big Brother's presence by documenting the locations of security cameras covering a city's public spaces.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
