World

Kyla Fullenwider offer ten simple ideas to improve the livability of your block.

February 10, 2010 - Good

A secret Russian military facility abandoned by the Russian military when the Soviet Union collapsed was sold at auction on Friday by the Latvian government. Officials celebrated the sale and hoped it could bring new life to the empty town.

February 6, 2010 - The Huffington Post

This post from The Nature Conservancy examines the impact of urbanization on nature and finds that our rising food needs will be one of the most important implications.

February 3, 2010 - The Nature Conservancy

Gigaom looks at a handful of "augmented reality" apps, both current and projected, that create an interface between the internet and the world around us.

February 3, 2010 - Gigaom

The growth patterns of amoebae as they spread out to connect to food sources bears a striking resemblance to the map of a rail system. Some say the amoeba could inform urban planners and designers.

January 29, 2010 - MSNBC

This piece from The New York Times profiles architectural photographer Iwan Baan, whose style differs from the status quo to emphasize the urban and social context of the buildings he's photographing.

January 29, 2010 - The New York Times

With the devastation in Haiti fresh in mind, Good's Alissa Walker takes a look at the growing practice of sharing design ideas.

January 28, 2010 - Good

This post from Treehugger looks at 6 cities that could potentially go car-lite or car-free.

January 27, 2010 - Treehugger

A new book reveals that our extended network of acquaintances is more important to us than we might think.

January 23, 2010 - On The Commons

GOOD introduces us to Sourcemap, a project from the MIT Media Lab that visually tracks the origins of the components that make up everyday products.

January 21, 2010 - Good

New Energy Hubs is a proposal to focus alternative energy production around transit-oriented developments to create synergistic benefits.

January 19, 2010 - WorldChanging

Recent earthquake response efforts in Haiti showed how comparing satellite imagery could help to identify physical changes in the damaged country and assist rescue workers. That same sort of imagery could play a similar role for urban planners.

January 18, 2010 - Nate Berg

Inhabitat reports on a Bulgarian designer who has a vision of a bicycle lane suspended in the air, taking bicyclists out of the line of traffic and onto a very precarious-looking track.

January 17, 2010 - Inhabitat

Cities along the British coast are being warned that sea level rise over the next 100 years will have significant destructive effects. Officials are being cautioned to consider city-altering plans that shift populations away from endangered areas.

January 16, 2010 - Guardian

AskMen.com has released a list of the world's top ten bike-friendly cities. Portland, Oregon is the one U.S. city to make the list.

January 15, 2010 - AskMen

In a world increasing concerned with reducing global warming, people and nations are embracing trains as an alternative to cars and planes because of their reduced carbon footprint. However, cost and time remain critical factors for travelers.

January 15, 2010 - CNN - Eco Solutions

Officials in Hawaii have unveiled a strategic plan for removing garbage and debris from the ocean near the Hawaiian Archipelago.

January 15, 2010 - The Honolulu Advertiser

In its bid to host the World Cup in either 2018 or 2022, the United States has narrowed its list of possible host cities down to 18. Notably missing are San Francisco and Chicago.

January 14, 2010 - Marketwatch

Updated for Fall 2010, Planetizen's picks for the best news and observations about urban planning, design and development available on Twitter. Check out the new section of high-speed rail links, and visit our sister site www.hsrnews.com.

January 13, 2010 - Nate Berg

A patent filed by Google in 2008 illustrates a process where ads could be placed on buildings, marquees and billboards in Google Street View.

January 12, 2010 - ReadWriteWeb