World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Planners: Embrace the Technical!
Chuck Donley argues that planners should get over their fear of being pigeonholed as "the technically-savvy" one in the office and learn to embrace new graphics technologies like Google Earth.
20 Most Sustainable Cities
Ethisphere looks at sustainability plans for large cities around the world and picks out the best ten large and mid-sized cities.
As Ice Melts, New Laws Needed in in the North
This week international legal experts are meeting in Iceland to debate whether or not the world needs new international laws concerning the polar regions in the face of climate change.
White Rooftops Could Slow Climate Change
A new study released Tuesday concludes that if the rooftops of the world's 100 largest cities were painted white it could significantly cool the atmosphere.
The 'One-Planet City'
Planning student Jennie Moore is going a step beyond the 'ecological footprint' model, and is researching what she calls the 'one-planet city'.
Looking for a Parking Spot? Go Online
A collection of links to online sources for parking spots.
Can 'Green' Cement Eliminate C02?
Cement production is notorious for generating large amounts of C02. Now a Stanford professor claims to have developed a new process that will eliminate the problem.
A Big Idea: Solar-Powered Cargo Ships
Toyota has hired two firms to build solar panels to augment the diesel engines on their car-carrying behemoths. The result will be a cut in CO2 emissions of 1 to 2 percent per year, or about 20 tons.
The Black Cloud: Using Games to Understand Air Quality
Human behavior and land use affect air quality, and those effects are very distinct at the local level. A new environmental game fusing public participation, air quality sensors and web technology shows how.
The Quest for the Perfect City
The director of the Design Museum in London reflects on the mostly unfortunate quest for perfection in city planning and architecture, as the museum's new exhibit, Design Cities, opens.
Mixed-Use for Volgograd
Volgograd, Russia (formerly Stalingrad) is getting a new mixed-use city center, designed with the idea of "shopping as museum and exhibition space".
Ice Melts Open Shipping Passages
For the first time in recorded history, the Northwest and the Northeast passages are free enough of ice to be navigable. Shipping companies welcome this effect of global climate change.
'Sustainability Toolbar' Released for Google Sketchup
Integrated Environmental Solutions is releasing a free plug-in for Google's SketchUp software that allows users to run sustainability performance simulations.
Calculating Your 'Water Footprint'
Your morning cup of joe - all things considered - takes 140 liters of water to make. A new study reveals the true cost in water usage for crops and cultures.
Lasers May Make Nuclear Power More Efficient (and Bombs Easier to Make)
G.E. is currently experimenting with a new lased-based technology that could make nuclear enrichment much easier. This would be a boon to nuclear power, but would also make nuclear-based weapons easier to make.
Public Sculpture is Getting Better
After an experimental phase of earthworks and video installations, public art is on the rise. And, a New York Times art critic reports, the quality is looking up.
Treechitecture
Civic amenities, public spaces, and even housing could one day be formed by living trees. Researchers are looking into this new idea.
The Future of the Electric Car
Shai Agassi, who's not quite the household name T. Boone Pickens is, has an even more radical plan to end the planet's oil addiction.
Buildings With Living Skins
Giant video screens and lighting displays are changing the face of buildings, but the content has not caught up to the technology. Peter Hall of Design Institute proposes that these displays could reflect the inner life of the buildings and the city.
Beyond LEED: Buildings That Give Back
A handful of thinkers and architects are pushing past LEED requirements to design buildings that generate more energy than they use.
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
