World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
People Who Live Alone Are Big Energy Wasters
A new study from SMR Research Corporation reveals that people who live alone use 18% more energy than two-person households, and 30% more than three-person homes. McMansions are, or course, cited as big wasters.
American Architects Taking on the World
As they currently lead the way in designing the most avant-garde projects for overseas clients, American architecture firms must understand the roots of their success to stay afloat .
Skyscraper Farms, Agriculture for the Future?
Thirty-story buildings used for crop-growing is a good idea on paper, but the challenges still outweigh the benefits.
TOD Q&A With John Renne and Jeff Wood
Transit oriented development experts John Renne, PhD, and Jeff Wood recently fielded questions from Planetizen readers about TOD, its current applications and its future.
Cities and Cognitive Burnout
Compared to natural settings, busy urban environments can be detrimental to cognitive functioning and self-control. Well-designed, biodiverse parks are integral to counterbalancing the concrete jungle.
Instant Architecture (Don't Add Water)
Oobject collects examples of instant architecture, temporary structures created mostly for the military to serve as hangars, sleeping quarters, or tactical command posts.
Long Term Planning and the Importance of Soil
Degradation of soils has brought down many human civilizations. Our current industrial agriculture practices threaten the future of human existence. A 50-year farm bill is needed to guide policy on a more sustainable path, according to this oped.
Down on the Corner
Solutions to our global ills can be found in your local neighborhood, says Jay Walljasper. Great examples can be found in communities from South Bend, Indiana to Mississauga, Ontario.
Architecture Bender Ends as Funding Dries Up
The party's over for what started out as a go-go year for architecture, writes Nicolai Ourroussoff.
Top 10 Trends in Green Transportation
Inhabitat selects their top 10, ranging from DIY bicycles to the fall of the S.U.V. Notably, transit is barely mentioned.
Is Climate Change an Energy Problem?
Alex Steffen at WorldChanging turns the climate change problem inside out to reconsider whether the form of energy is the true issue, rather than how much is wasted and how we use it.
Suburban Planet
Adoption of American lifestyles abroad and a downturn in the U.S. economy are contributing to American design firms exporting suburbia around the world.
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.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
