World

In a photo essay, Thomas J. Sigler interprets what the skylines of some of the world's most prominent cities say about their character.

August 24, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Former Times architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff pens a profile of the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, whose "most provocative—and in many ways least understood—contribution to the cultural landscape is as an urban thinker."

August 24, 2012 - Smithsonian

With the world's supposedly fashionable neighborhoods "increasingly as banal, antisocial and plain dull as any suburb," Feargus O'Sullivan explains why he's perfectly happy to have ditched inner London for the burbs.

August 23, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Astrophysicist Adam Frank takes a bird's eye view of the beautiful and perilous ways in which cities - "the defining element of human civilization" - exhibit the laws of thermodynamics.

August 22, 2012 - NPR

It has long been assumed by politicians, and others, that homeowners are more likely to invest in contributing to the well-being of their neighborhoods than renters. A new report seems to support those assumptions.

August 22, 2012 - Next American City

Giving new meaning to the phrase "take back the streets," Neal Peirce writes about the arguments in favor of a "freeway free" future for the world's cities, which was the subject of a recent Rockefeller Foundation Conference held in Bellagio, Italy.

August 22, 2012 - Citi Wire

August 20, 2012 - Edward J. Jepson Jr.

Bill Hooper looks at the global effort to reinvent the airport as a place where people will actually want to spend time.

August 20, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

In the quadrennial competition to secure mega-events such as the Olympics and political conventions, the economic benefit to host cities is regularly flaunted. Carl Bialik looks at why big events may not mean big bucks for their host cities.

August 20, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

When we think urbanism, we often think cities. But small towns embody many of the elements of walkability that are illegal in most places. This pictorial review offers some palatable insights.

August 19, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Nate Berg asks what the practical limit is to the seemingly endless quest to design and construct the world's tallest building.

August 17, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Stewart M. Patrick looks at the convergence of trends in natural disasters and urbanization in the developing world and sees a dire threat to the world's urban populations growing.

August 17, 2012 - The Internationalist

Richard Florida looks at the results of a recent study of the world cities that tweet the most. While the top city might surprise you, it didn't surprise Florida's colleague at the University of Toronto.

August 17, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

According to a new research study out of the UK, green streets are much more effective at cutting pollution than previously thought.

August 16, 2012 - THE DIRT

The love affair between Americans and their cars is a well known trope. But according to a new paper from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on worldwide car usage, America's car ownership rate is among the lowest in the developed world.

August 16, 2012 - The Atlantic

August 14, 2012 - Fanis Grammenos

As cities across the world expand their infrastructure to support more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly environments, outdated laws still support the use of streets by automobiles over people.

August 11, 2012 - Governing

NASA scientist James Hansen, considered to be the 'godfather of global warming' has co-authored a new report that shows the connection between 'extreme weather events', such as the drought most of the U.S. is now experiencing, and climate change.

August 7, 2012 - PBS NewsHour

Kaid Benfield wades into the density debate by pointing out that density and sprawl can go hand in hand.

August 6, 2012 - Switchboard

Rives Taylor pens an editorial for Urban Land advocating for "engineered resilience", which he describes as "next-generation sustainability" that "adds adaptability and the protection of human life" to planning for the well-being of the planet.

August 6, 2012 - Urban Land