World

A Canadian real estate startup has created striking animated 3-D visualizations of the evolution of the skylines in cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago.

July 10, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Planners and environmentalists have applauded the seven-year decline in America's auto ownership levels with understandable enthusiasm. But around the world, automobile production has never been higher.

July 9, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

This just in: Neighborhood Units missing in action as cities continue to attempt 3D governance using 2D laws. Howard Blackson argues why Neighborhood Units are the key element to placemaking.

July 9, 2013 - PlaceShakers

With driverless cars poised to appear in the not-too-distant future, planners and engineers are beginning to envision the effect on the urban landscape and the spaces within cars themselves. Nick Bilton shares some of the predictions.

July 9, 2013 - The New York Times

In an era of mobile people and capital, the most ambitious cities position themselves as international players. By examining the 10 key traits of successful "global" cities, Brookings hopes to help local leaders "gauge their global starting point."

July 7, 2013 - Brookings: The Avenue

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has recognized the best tall buildings of 2013. The regional winners include The Bow in Calgary, CCTV in Beijing, The Shard in London, and Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi.

July 6, 2013 - CTBUH

Taichung, Taiwan (pop 2.7 million) has beaten out six other finalists to claim the Intelligent Community Forum’s (ICF) designation as "intelligent community of the year". Robert Bell and Sylvie Albert describe what makes the city an intelligent icon.

July 5, 2013 - The Global Urbanist

The three geographers behind the Floating Sheep blog have created a world map of Internet references to zombies.

July 5, 2013 - Atlantic Cities

Looking for some design inspiration? The editors of ArchDaily have put together a list if the 25 top feeds to follow on Instagram.

July 5, 2013 - ArchDaily

Unlike the United Sates, Canada, and Great Britain, few countries raise substantial revenues from property taxes. The Economist argues that property taxes are among the most efficient, stable, and progressive forms of taxation and should be embraced.

July 3, 2013 - The Economist

Shannon Mattern examines how media scholars and environmental artists are working to reveal the material and immaterial infrastructures that shape our lives, from the Interstate to the Internet.

July 3, 2013 - Places Journal

With Millennials leading America’s historic decline in driving, cities are exploring ways to attract young professionals through reliable mass transit. Benjamin de la Pena and Nicholas Turner argue that Bus Rapid Transit is the optimal solution.

July 2, 2013 - Benjamin de la Pena

Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of hot architecture firm BIG, is a media savvy populist who's scorned by the establishment, yet adept at "bringing his message directly to the people". Justin Fowler dissects his strategy for success.

July 2, 2013 - ArchDaily

Two very different grades are assigned, one from David Hawkins, Director of Climate Programs at NRDC; the other from a college senior working on a fossil fuel divestment campaign. Michael Brune of the Sierra Club differs with Hawkins on natural gas.

July 1, 2013 - Living on Earth

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.

June 29, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

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.

June 29, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

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.

June 29, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Carl Skelton argues that the public needs new tools of citizenship to participate fully in the digital cities of the near future.

June 28, 2013 - Places Journal

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.

June 27, 2013 - The Daily Beast

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.

June 26, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities