World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Does London Have the Most User-Friendly Public Transit?

In preparation for the 2012 Olympics, the City of London has announced its plans to introduce a revolutionary ticketing system to allow easier access to its public transit network.

February 28, 2011 - This Big City

Food Markets are Booming

Angela Starita reports on the growing popularity of "haute food courts" -- high-end food markets -- and what they mean for cities.

February 28, 2011 - The Architect's Newspaper

Rethinking the Brick

The Brickstainable design competition challenges designers to find "solutions that exploit the thermal qualities of masonry construction in an urban building." Geoff Manaugh looks at some of the interesting ways designers remade the lowly brick.

February 28, 2011 - BLDNGBLG

An Urbanized and Unequal Planet

In this piece from Metropolis, Joel Kotkin argues that as the world urbanizes, cities are becoming increasingly unequal and do not provide the opportunities they once did.

February 25, 2011 - Metropolis

The Importance of Public Squares

With the recent developments happening in North Africa and the Middle East, public squares are taking center-stage as the epicenters of change.

February 25, 2011 - Urban Omnibus

Music Video Promotes Bicycle Use in Africa

The video was created by a group of Kenyan teenagers who submitted it for the "1 Minute to Save the World Video Contest," which they won.

February 24, 2011 - GOOD Magazine

Public Space and Revolution

Jay Walljasper discusses the role of public spaces in recent protests and revolutions from Madison, Wisconsin to Cairo, Egypt.

February 24, 2011 - On The Commons

Sustainable Community Character, and How Planners Can Create It

Planners' activities in a community have a direct impact on its character, says Edward Jepson, and can be pivotal in creating sustainability.

February 24, 2011 - Edward J. Jepson Jr.

Tel-Aviv's New Master Plan Kept Secret From Residents

The Mayor of Tel-Aviv has called the new Master Plan a "constitution for the city," yet local officials have stated they will not comment on the plan until after it is approved by the city council.

February 23, 2011 - Sustainable City blog

Student Entrepreneur Tackles Traffic Congestion

Frustrated by inadequate public transportation and environmental degradation caused by traffic congestion in the city, a Mumbai MBA student attempts to introduce bike-sharing to this mega-city.

February 23, 2011 - Fast Company

The Problem With Skyscrapers

Michael Mehaffy writes that there is growing research that paints a decidedly mixed picture on the benefits of tall buildings.

February 23, 2011 - New Urban Network

Top Ten Most Liveable Cities of 2011

Australian and Canadian cities dominate the Economist Intelligence Unit report.

February 22, 2011 - The Huffington Post

Smarter Cities Facilitate World Growth

Cities in India and China, as well as in Dubai, are building smarter cities which spurs more investment and development.

February 22, 2011 - Computing.co.uk

Into the Anthropocene

The mark of human civilization will last long after humans go extinct, according to this article looking at the anthropocene, or the age of humankind.

February 22, 2011 - National Geographic

The Importance of Cities to the World

Neal Peirce expounds on the increasing power and importance of cities, a dominant message in the new book "Triumph of the City" by economist Edward Glaeser.

February 21, 2011 - Citiwire

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.

February 20, 2011 - MiceChat

"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.

February 20, 2011 - Fast Company

Top 5 Urban Infographics

Yuri Artibise is an expert on infographics and has chosen his favorite ones on cities.

February 18, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

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.

February 17, 2011 - Metropolis

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.

February 17, 2011 - Sustainable Cities Collective

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.