World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Disney's Thwarted Alpine Village
Mineral King is a site adjoining Sequoia National Park that the Park Service wanted to lease as a resort. Walt Disney was gung ho to do it, and got pretty far in planning an alpine village resort before the project was killed.
"Roombots" Can Become Any Item of Furniture You Need
Scientists are developing modular robots that can move themselves around the room and pull themselves into chairs, beds, desks, or whatever piece of furniture you need at the time.
Top 5 Urban Infographics
Yuri Artibise is an expert on infographics and has chosen his favorite ones on cities.
Can an Airport Drive an Economy?
A new book suggests that airports can be the driving factor that creates vibrant global cities in the future. This review from Metropolis holds some doubts.
CarSharing Association Has Ambitious Agenda
Eighteen companies from around the globe have formed a CarSharing Association to reduce car-ownership and promote a more sustainable transportation model.
A "Structural Shift" Away From Suburban Model
Christopher Leinberger argues that the fundamental cause of the mortgage meltdown was a "structural shift in market demand" from low-density suburbs to walkable urban housing.
Solar Roads: The Next Revolution in Solar Power
A prototype bike path is being built in Amsterdam. When complete, it will combine the best aspects of earth-friendly transportation and eco-friendly energy, say the project's developers.
Hybrid Vehicles, A Threat to Cyclists and Pedestrians?
A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that Hybrid vehicles were involved in a higher incidence rate of collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians compared to gasoline powered vehicles.
"Urban Sprawl is Finished," Claims Author of Australian Study
The Planning Institute of Australia released a report that predicts a grim future for Australia's suburbs, unless the government moves to radically overhaul its transport and urban policies.
The Grammys for Built Environment Bloggers?
The award show, held at London's Building Centre, highlights social media use in the built environment, according to Joe Peach of This Big City.
All That We Share: An Interview with Jay Walljasper
What, as a society, do we share? Natural resources? Internet access? Public space? Jay Walljasper and the nonprofit On the Commons cross political boundaries to advocate for the common good and all that we share.
Tracking Growth in World Cities
Mega-cities of 10 million people or more are getting a lot of attention these days. But smaller big cities are really where interesting and potentially hazardous growth patterns are occurring, according to this piece.
Let's Be Smart About Intelligent Cities
"Intelligent cities" is picking up steam as the new buzzword in planning and a potentially game-changing way of using data to drive decisions. But we need to be sure we don't lose the human intelligence in planning.
Eco Cities Becoming Reality
A panel of experts met in Los Angeles last month to discuss 'eco' cities in terms both abstract and practical.
Risks in City Marketing
Grist's Sarah Goodyear takes a look at a Superbowl TV commercial's focus on Detroit, and how selling a city can either work or fail.
iPhone App Puts World in the Palm of Your Hand
"Open Buildings" App lets you discover the built environment with the touch of a screen.
More Evidence that City Living is the Greenest
Ever since David Owen's book Green Metropolis pushed forward the idea that cities are better for the planet, people have been debating if it's really so. New evidence says yes.
The 40 Tools You Need to Build Your Own Civilization
The Global Village Construction Set is a group of farmers and engineers who are developing an set of open-source designs for the forty tools one would need to create a self-sufficient life living off of the land.
Green Buildings in Demand
A new poll of real estate experts reveals that businesses seeking office space are increasingly seeking buildings built with sustainability in mind.
Andres Duany Says LEED and Optimization Driving Up Costs
Speaking at the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference last week, Duany said that he fears developers will give up on building sustainably because of overly onerous infrastructure costs required by LEED and other systems.
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.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
