World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
The Truth Behind Decarbonizing
Brad Plumer examines the global need to abate climate change amidst a new report showing carbon emission reductions being claimed by countries around the world can be deceiving.
Surveying the Year's Best Buildings
Why wait until December to survey the year's best buildings? Nary a third of the way through 2012, Mark Byrnes has shared his list of the most interesting buildings so far.
APA Conference Keynote Focuses on Challenges of Communicating Climate Change
Meghan Stromberg reports on the opening keynote from this year's annual APA national conference, taking place in Los Angeles through April 17th. Dr. Andrew Weaver spoke about the disconnect between climate change science and public perception.
Study Links Childhood Obesity to Walkability and Access to Healthy Food
A new study conducted by the Seattle Children’s Research Institute looks at how zip code is as important as genetic code in determining childhood obesity.
Pedestrianology 101: The Science of Walking in Social Spaces
In the second part of a four part series on America's pedestrian problem, Tom Vanderbilt evaluates the surprisingly formalized field of pedestrian behavior research, from navigating crowded sidewalks to tripping at the bottom of the stairs.
Transportation Policy: A Matter of Public Health
Tim Pittman makes the case that cities can make us healthier – provided we can get out of our cars – and advocates a shift in the conversation about designing cities for people.
Where to Find the Global 1%
Richard Florida explores the rankings of the top global cities for the ultra-rich, as detailed in the 2012 Wealth Report released by real estate firm Knight Frank and Citi Private Bank.
Do We Stand to Gain When We Lose a Highway?
Ben Welle discusses the benefits of freeway removal programs both at home and abroad, and explores what cities have done to fill the void they leave behind.
Consumer 3-D Photography Arriving Soon
Mark Wilson profiles a breakthrough 3-D scanning technology that may soon changed the way we catalog spaces and share objects.
New Visualization Tool Could Transform Project Impact Analysis
Ariel Schwartz profiles a promising new 3-D tool that allows planners to visualize traffic, noise, and pollution impacts of proposed projects.
Friday Funny: Cats + Buildings = Fun
Some architecture students at UC Berkeley were incredibly busy over Spring Break. Polishing their portfolios or getting ahead on course reading, you ask? Nope. Developing a trove of Architectural LOLCATS.
The Ugliest Buildings in the World?
The Telegraph takes a shot at identifying the 21 ugliest buildings ever designed and built. Some of their choices will no doubt surprise you, including one that hasn't even been completed.
How Can Atlanta Become a Smart City?
Maggie Comstock looks at what it takes to be considered a "Smart City", and asks what an organizationally and infrastructurally challenged city like Atlanta can do to raise its IQ.
Durable, Custom, and Affordable Homes: This Builder Shows It Can Be Done
Simplify some steps, delete a few details, and you can get an affordable, multi-century house for under $80 a square foot.
Bus Rapid Transit: from Adelaide to Zurich
Emily Badger profiles a new web-based information resource on all things BRT, launched this week by EMBARQ, with the International Energy Agency and the Bus Rapid Transit Centre of Excellence.
The Smart Home of the Future: Nurse or Nudge?
Depending on your outlook, the smart home of the future may be an essential caregiver (or an annoying nudge) explains Emily Badger, who explores the new technology giving homes the ability to reason what’s going on inside them.
Will the Near Future be a Harsh Climate for Suburbs?
In this excerpt from her new book, "Before the Lights Go Out" author Maggie Koerth-Baker warns of the converging crises of peak oil and climate change on suburban areas.
UN Issues World Happiness Report
The first ever World Happiness Report, published by Columbia University's Earth Institute, reflects a new worldwide demand for more attention to happiness and absence of misery as criteria for government policy.
Provocative Images of Cities Without People
The Daily Mail shares the wonderfully scary work of Paris-based artists Lucie and Simon, who have created "Silent World," a series of enchanting but disturbing images of the world's major cities, bereft of people.
As the Global Population Explodes, Experts Ask Where They'll Live
A conference held in London last Tuesday, called "Planet Under Pressure," provided a forum to begin to answer the question, reports Roxanne Palmer.
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
