World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

How Planning is Like Growing Tomatoes

An organic system is rarely the sum of its parts. Nothing demonstrates this as clearly as sinking your teeth into a store-bought tomato, writes Ben Brown.

December 15, 2011 - PlaceShakers

European Cyclist's Federation (ECF) Study on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emmissions

In the fight against climate change, it is still unclear how, according to SustainableCitiesCollective, "the world’s nations will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve limited temperature rise." A recent ECF study sheds light on the topic.

December 14, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

GIS Whizzes Get Antarctica on Google Maps

The editor of the Antarctic Sun says that while Antarctica has always been viewable in Google Maps, the imagery was "about as sharp as the graphics in Pong." The folks at the Polar Geospatial Center came to the rescue.

December 14, 2011 - United States Antarctic Program

Placemaking With Zip Lines

Chuck Wolfe admires the creative thinking which has reinvented the dramatic setting between two Italian hill towns.

December 14, 2011 - The Atlantic Cities

Folding Bikes Gain Popularity in Brazil

Maria Fernanda Cavalcanti, a resident of Brazil, writes that folding bicycles "...have been catching the attention of urban cyclists everywhere."

December 14, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Is Smart Growth a United Nations Plot?

Tea Partiers, anti-smart growthers and Wendell Cox all agree: Agenda 21, a United Nations program adopted in 1992, contains dangerous ideas that if implemented could damage economic growth and cement world government control over the U.S.

December 13, 2011 - New Urban Network

Exxon Predicts Energy Future For World At 2040

By 2040, half of all cars will be hybrids or running on alternative fuels; energy demand will be flat for the developed world but will increase 60% for developing nations, and non-conventional oil sources will handily meet the demand of 110m barrels.

December 13, 2011 - AP via Bloomberg Business Week

London Taxi Drivers' 'Knowledge' Alters Brain Makeup

London requires more topographical knowledge of its taxi drivers than any other city in the world. Now researchers have found that acquiring 'the knowledge' required to gain certification physically changes a human brain.

December 10, 2011 - The Atlantic

New Study Finds Twitter Reinforces Place-Based Networks

A new study that explores the geography of twitter networks finds that rather than making place obsolete, their intensity can be predicted by location and proximity, suggesting they enhance location based relationships.

December 10, 2011 - The Atlantic

Ambitious Effort to Urbanize India

The Indian government is betting big with simultaneously building a massive high speed freight corridor between Delhi & Mumbai as well the physical infrastructure for 24 new cities that will become an industrial corridor.

December 9, 2011 - Global Post

Public Parks to Cover Highways in Hamburg

The City of Hamburg, Germany is planning on building elevated public parks on sections of the to-be-expanded A7 (Highway 7), which is considered one of the most important north-south connectors in Germany.

December 9, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

2012 TED Award Winner Announced: The City 2.0?

For the past 7 years, the people behind the TED conference have awarded a yearly $100,000 prize to an individual with "one wish to change the world." This year, they've skipped the individual and are going directly to the idea: The City 2.0.

December 6, 2011 - TED

Huge Jump In CO2 Emissions Reported For 2010

As delegates from 191 nations gather in Durban, South Africa to tackle climate change, a new report shows the largest increase in carbon emissions, and the greatest percentage increase since 2003. Coal combustion accounts for more than half the gain.

December 6, 2011 - The New York Times - Environment

Designing a Retirement Community for LGBT Seniors

Architect Mattias Hollwich talks about BOOM, a community designed with the unique needs of gay and lesbian retirees that has become a blueprint for new retirement developments the world over.

December 5, 2011 - SmartPlanet

Actualizing Seasteads

Brainchild of libertarians, seasteads are brand new cities built upon the ocean. It's not as far-fetched as it sounds, according to this article's author, but it will have to overcome the myriad engineering, energy, and legal challenges.

December 4, 2011 - The Economist

Extensive Cycling Infrastructure Created By Mass Protest

The Netherlands gains the title of 'Safest Place to Cycle,' which is mainly due to their extensive infrastructure. But how did these high quality cycle paths come to exist?

December 1, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

The Problem with Architecture that is Landscape-Driven

Architect David Heymann says that a lot of architects claim to use the specifics of a site's natural features to inspire their design, but most end up with designs that are aggressive to the landscape - and to people.

November 30, 2011 - Design Observer

New Urban Design Looks at Shared Spaces

In urban street design, a new movement known as 'shared spaces' has been emerging. This new movement "aims to reduce the dominance of cars by getting people and vehicles to share the road space," according to Walkonomics.

November 30, 2011 - This Big City

Untruths About a Gas Tax

The Carnegie Endowment's Shin-pei Tsay and Deborah Gordon expose five common myths and reveal three important facts on the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and present their solution to maintaining and improving America’s transportation infrastructure.

November 25, 2011 - CNN Opinion

Where the Hipsters Go

Good planning is attracting young hipsters to cities throughout the world, writes Christopher F. Schuetze.

November 22, 2011 - International Herald Tribune via New York Times

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.

Comprehensive Bikeway Design Workshop

Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University

Early Bird Deadline – save on your tuition fee!🚨

Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)

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.