World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

The Mathematics of Traffic

A study from MIT's Department of Mathematics provides new means of understanding how traffic jams form.

June 16, 2009 - Science Daily

Reinventing America's Cities: Discovering Opportunities by Challenging Biases

Dr. Aseem Inam takes writers on urbanism and architecture to task for spreading stereotypes about "third world cities", particularly when used to generalize about urban form.

June 15, 2009 - Aseem Inam

Suburban Home Comes to Venice

American artist Mike Bouchet constructed a full-sized replica of a standard American suburban home to float outside the Venice Biennale art exhibition. Instead, the house sank, suggesting new meanings for the artwork.

June 9, 2009 - AFP

Experiencing Debtenfreude

Schadenfreude is a German concept that means "taking pleasure in the suffering of others." Columnist Meghan Daum is experiencing 'debtenfreude'; the pleasure in watching house flippers and McMansion builders fall to the economic downturn.

June 8, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Powerful Human Impact on Landscapes and Environment

The videos from the time-lapse images compiled from NASA Earth Observatory show some most impressive conquests of man over environment.

June 7, 2009 - THE DIRT

President Obama's Aiming for U.S.-China Deal

The Obama administration is making a U.S.-China deal on climate change a centerpiece, according to The Guardian (UK).

June 5, 2009 - THE DIRT

Proactive Vs. Reactive Transportation Planning

Alex Marshall takes a look at Spain's recent record of proactive transportation planning, connecting cities to direct development rather than to connect already successful areas.

June 3, 2009 - Governing Magazine

Chu Says: Paint the World White

Energy Secretary Steven Chu is the latest to get behind the idea that painting roofs and buildings white can help counter global warming.

June 2, 2009 - The Times Online

The "Greenest" Consumers

Consumers in India, Brazil, and China scored the highest (and those in the U.S. the lowest) in a survey conducted by National Geographic and Globescan for green behavior.

June 2, 2009 - THE DIRT

Watch the Land Change Through Google Earth Images

These videos show images of locations that have seen significant change over the past few years as seen through Google Earth images, from Dubai's manmade archipelago to Utah's disappearing Lake Powell.

June 1, 2009 - Wired

Scramble for the LEED

As the U.S. Green Building Council prepares to give its LEED-AP certification standards a major overhaul, test takers are scrambling to take the exam before it becomes a whole new ballgame.

June 1, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

In Defense of Modernist Architecture

Owen Hatherley presents his case for a revival of modernism, particularly in its original intent as a social reform movement, in his new book, Militant Modernism.

May 31, 2009 - Icon Eye

Smart Meters Will Save The World

Columnist Stephen Cunningham of the BBC believes that technology like smart meters in homes will provide the necessary reduction in CO2 to reduce global warming.

May 29, 2009 - BBC News

Does Architecture Make People Happy?

Building Happiness, a new collection of writings on architecture, concludes that the connect between beauty and happiness is unfounded.

May 28, 2009 - Metropolis Magazine

Clinton Promoting 'Climate-Positive' Communities

Last week in Seoul, Bill Clinton announced a new collaboration between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council to go beyond the single LEED building and create new green development models for whole communities.

May 27, 2009 - The New York Times

New Frontier for Development: The Ocean

The Seasteading Institute, a group that advocates creating sovereign nations in international waters, announces the winner of their seastead design contest.

May 26, 2009 - National Geographic

Global Challenges Require "Smarter Cities"

Chief Executive Officer of IBM Samuel Palmisano believes that "smarter cities" are key to a sustainable future, and so are the focus of three upcoming summits hosted by IBM.

May 25, 2009 - Huffington Post

Bus Stop of the Future

MIT's SENSEable City Lab is featuring a prototype of a futuristic bus stop, complete with real-time route mapping, e-ink surfaces, and estimates of your exposure to pollutants along the way.

May 22, 2009 - MIT's SENSEable City Lab

Comparing Manhattan and a Mouse, Mathematically

Cities conform to mathematical principles more closely than many people realize, in terms of density, relative population, and economies of scale.

May 22, 2009 - The Wild Side Blog - NY Times

Undergound Eyes Watch Water Use at Golf Courses

Underground water sensors that monitor and display moisture and soil conditions on computers are saving millions of gallons of water at golf courses.

May 22, 2009 - The 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.

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.