World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
The Cardinal Rules for Climate Action Plans
Any prospect for the green initiatives to produce desired results requires more than just aggressive reduction targets, according to The Economist. It comes down to scope and suitability, the two factors that vary greatly from city to city.
Shipping Container Housing May Be Hazardous to Your Health
Recycling shipping containers into housing has been growing in popularity, but the materials they are coated with may be cause for alarm.
Avoiding Plannerese: Keep it Simple
Planners, architects, and urban designers talk the talk and walk the walk, but often in a cone of silence, unheard - or at least not understood -- by those outside the profession, says Scott Doyon.
Friday Funny: Captain Planet the Green-Mongering, Megalomaniac Superhero?
Before polar bear there was Captain Planet. This laugh-out-loud video of actor Don Cheadle as the cartoon superhero evokes the old adage: Be careful what you wish for.
Melbourne Ranked as Most Livable City
With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.
Skyscrapers and the World of Tomorrow
Are skyscrapers the way to achieve great density, or a form of retro-urbanism that should be retired? With a debate simmering in the planning world over the energy efficiency and urban necessity of tall towers, Planetizen's staff decided to determine the answer once and for all.
William Gibson's Futuristic World Has Arrived
Author William Gibson talks to Scientific American about how "the future's arrived," and the many ways you can see the future around you.
Ebenezer Howard's "Garden City" Revisited
Nina Rappaport of UrbanOmnibus explores the history of the urban factory, examining the social, economic, and environmental benefits of the modern vertical factory industry.
Mouse Utopia, and the Density Scare
John B. Calhoun wrote in the 70s about studies he'd conducted that looked at how mice would react when "overcrowded". Since his utopias often turned ugly, he (and many others) extrapolated the results to humans, giving density a bad name.
Reconsidering the Urban Alley
Alyse Nelson takes a look at a handful of alleys that were transformed from crusty dumping grounds into beautiful urban spaces.
The One-Billion Milestone for Cars
The total number of cars around the world exceeded the billion-unit mark in 2010, according to a study by Wards Auto. This figure has essentially doubled since 1986 when the 500-million-unit mark was crossed.
Getting Real About Green Building
Neil Chambers talks about his new book, Urban Green: Architecture for the Future. He says that "[w]e are basically still dealing with water, energy, and buildings the same way we were 150 years ago."
BOOK REVIEW: For the Love of Cities
Urbanist Peter Kageyama's new book suggests that the "loveability" of a city as a factor in its success is greatly underappreciated. Mike Lydon has this review.
Is There a Capital of the World?
Intelligent Life magazine asks what city would be the capital of the world.
The Boon in British Cycling
A new report from the London School of Economics looks at the “cycling economy” that is taking the United Kingdom by storm and the economic benefits generated by individual cyclists.
Bike Lanes Benefit Drivers
Canadian Urban designer Ken Greenberg and American planner Trent Lethco argue that investing in cycling infrastructure improves driving conditions -- for those times that you really need a car.
Eliminate All Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Says Org
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), a Canada-based research group, is calling for world leaders to band together to phase out fossil fuel subsidies.
My Future City is Houston?
The BMW Guggenheim Lab has released an online urban planning game called "Urbanology," which asks a serious of questions to determine the type of city you think is the future.
Light and the City
A new film explores the impact of urban light pollution on humans and the natural environment, and calls on designers and planners to revise the way our cities are lit.
Recognizing the Value of Green Infrastructure
A new guidebook has been released that's aimed at helping planners and city officials to know which types of green infrastructure are worth investment.
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.
Tyler Technologies
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
