World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Frank Lloyd Wright: Apostle of Sprawl

Mark Byrnes brings us a fascinating, and regrettably short, clip of Frank Lloyd Wright discussing his opinions of the city, the skyscraper, and why "the best people" are leaving New York.

June 11, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Latin American Cities Take Charge in Climate Change Planning

Raillan Brooks examines a new report from MIT, which shows that Latin America has a higher percentage of cities planning for climate change than other sections of the globe.

June 11, 2012 - Next American City

New Software Can Distinguish a City's DNA

Jacob Aron reports on the promising new software developed by an international group of researchers that can recognize "what makes Paris look like Paris."

June 10, 2012 - New Scientist

What is the Surest Way to Increase Transit Ridership?

Eric Jaffe discusses findings reported in the upcoming issue of Transport Policy that compare the relative effectiveness of subsidizing fares, regulating auto use, and expanding systems to increase transit ridership.

June 10, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Earth at the Precipice

A new paper by a group of international scientists warns that the planet may be at the tipping point of causing a rapid irreversible transition to a "state unknown in human experience," reports Bettina Boxall

June 9, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

New Global Environmental Performance Rankings Released

The Dirt reports on findings disclosed by this year's iteration of the Yale and Columbia University produced Environmental Performance Index (EPI). A new metric unveiled this year tracks the trend in each country's environmental performance.

June 8, 2012 - THE DIRT

New Video Game Explores Susceptibility of Smart Cities

The fact that cities are becoming more technologically reliant and interconnected is good, right? But, what happens if the controls of the "smart city" fall into the wrong hands? A new video game explores such a scenario, writes Nate Berg.

June 6, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

What Drives People?

Hazel Borys argues that "the payback of livable places really can’t be calculated in dollars, or pounds of fat or carbon, or even hours. The payback of place is passion."

June 5, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Is Urban Desegregation Finally Possible?

According to Carl H. Nightingale, urban centers have been racially divided since Mesopotamia. However global organizations and demographic changes are making the possibility of increased integration a reality.

June 3, 2012 - Salon.com

Cities Frown Upon Air Conditioned Sidewalks

As the Summer months heat up, Sarah Laskow reports on cities' efforts to keep retailers' doors closed.

June 3, 2012 - GOOD Magazine

How Green Do You Want To Get?

Elizabeth Daigneau looks at the various ways in which cities and counties can earn eco-certification, including everything from "the roads they build to the vehicles that ride on them."

June 3, 2012 - Governing

Beer Bikes: Coming Soon to America

As European bike culture spreads across America, get ready for the next import from Amsterdam - the Beer Bike.

June 1, 2012 - The New York Times

Building Typology as One Solution to Visualizing and Embracing Density

While raw density numbers are sure to pick a fight, discussing character-based building typologies one neighborhood at a time may help find common ground.

June 1, 2012 - PlaceShakers

Is Alienation from the Natural World Harming Our Health?

Joel Kato speaks with Richard Louv, author and founding chairman of The Children and Nature Network, about his new book and how 'nature-deficit disorder' is making us fat, sick, and depressed.

June 1, 2012 - Good

Will Urbanization Be a Global Health Boon or Hindrance?

A new report released this week seeks to address whether the "urban health advantage" can be extended to more of the world’s population as cities continue to grow in the coming decades, reports Katherine Harmon.

May 31, 2012 - Scientific American

Could Fractals Provide the Secret to Designing Optimal Cities?

Michael Mehaffy and Nikos Salingaros explore the application of fractal structures to the design of the built environment, and why they believe they hold the key to improving our understanding of and appreciation for our cities.

May 30, 2012 - Metropolis POV Blog

The Biggest Challenge Facing the Century of the City

Whether we've embarked on a new era of global urbanization is indisputable. The ability of architects to design attractive and humane high-rise towers to house the urban masses, however, is open to discussion, writes Sarah Williams Goldhagen.

May 28, 2012 - The New Republic

How Well do You Know the World?

The Atlantic offers a brain teaser tailor made for the readers of Planetizen.

May 28, 2012 - The Atlantic

What Income Inequality Looks Like From Space

Tim De Chant compares satellite images of neighborhoods from cities around the world to see if inequality is manifest in the patterns of the landscape. The differences are striking.

May 27, 2012 - Per Square Mile

Shoring up the Disappearing Public Realm

As libraries and and post offices are replaced by private development while streets and sidewalks lack funding, what can be done to enliven the public realm?

May 27, 2012 - PlaceShakers

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.