World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Growth on the Smart Grid Frontier
The business of creating smart grid infrastructure- new electrical transmission systems that can monitor flow and incorporate solar and wind power- is growing, and companies are competing for attention. This report reviews the most important players.
The 10 Best Commutes
Density gives cities an edge, according to this study of commutes around the world. Hong Kong, Osaka, and Berlin all rank highly.
Plunging Oil Prices May Do More Harm Than Good
The Financial Times analyzes the effects of the falling price of oil on energy markets and concludes that the short term economic gain for oil consumers will come back to bite them as investments in alternative fuels will cease as will conservation.
Nuclear Urbanism
A new Google Maps mashup creates a visual representation of an atomic bomb dropped on your city.
Unprecedented Urbanization
A new global map released by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre reveals that 95% of the world's population lives on 10% of the land.
Is Urbanism Enough to Curb Global Warming?
Witold Rybczynski reports on a recent conference at the University of Pennsylvania at which planners emphasized technology. He thinks that there is more to it than that.
Streets, Reconquered
This piece from Worldchanging looks at recent efforts by cities to "reconquer" streets by making them (temporarily, at least) pedestrianized and closed off to car traffic.
World's Ugliest Buildings
Virtual Tourist selects its top 10 ugliest buildings, ranging from the Brutalist Boston City Hall to the Liechtenstein Museum of Fine Arts.
Is 'Peak Hierarchy' Next?
David Bollier argues that large institutions and businesses may have reached their peak, and we're headed towards a 'peer production' economy.
Not Your Typical Brick
Bricks have been a building staple for a long time, but the sky's the limit for their aesthetic uses.
Lego New Urbanism
Lego released a number of new sets in 2008 that look surprisingly New Urbanist in design, including the 'Green Grocer' set, which is mixed-use with a grocery store on the ground floor and detailed streetscaping.
Reconsidering Asphalt
Landscape architect Paula Meijerink is calling on designers to rethink asphalt, and she's taking her efforts to the streets.
What Green Architecture Really Means
Architect David Cook looks at the sustainability craze in building and architecture and warns that calling something "green" doesn't necessarily make it so.
Le Corbusier Was 'Utterly Obnoxious'
The Washington Post reviews Le Corbusier: A Life, a new biography by Nicholas Fox Weber, and finds it a messy book that nonetheless makes clear his "monomaniacal, narcissistic and pugilistic temperament."
Getting Off Oil Without the 'C' Word
Amory Lovins, co-founder and chairman of Rocky Mountain Institute, believes that governments and the private sector need to identify and remove barriers to energy efficiency, rather than simply promoting "conservation."
Cities: Use What You've Got
According to Philip Myrick, communities that will fare the best economically are the ones that think locally and employ placemaking strategies.
How to Empower the World's Poor
The key to solving global poverty is possessing secure land and property tenure, according to this opinion piece. Having such security enables poor communities, even those here at home, to make demands from their governments.
Urban Subcultures and Sartorial Landscapes
An annual online photo exhibit explores the fashion subcultures of different cities, which are often defined by musical tastes.
Experiments Validate Broken Windows Theory
The controversial theory that social and physical disorder is a cause of neighborhood crime has been successfully demonstrated with a series of six experiments.
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
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
