World

Global issues, U.N., etc.

Your Own Private Utopia

Using Wrights & Sites new "A Mis-Guide To Anywhere", city dwellers around the world can unlock a "mental toolkit" that will help them discover the extraordinary in the seemingly mundane urban experience, writes author Phil Smith.

July 10, 2006 - Phil Smith

Bjorn Lomborg's Latest Global Warming Experiment

The WSJ's Kimberly Strassel interviews Bjorn Lomborg on his latest economic exercise -- asking eight U.N. ambassadors to prioritize global projects. Global warming ends up at the bottom. Again.

July 9, 2006 - The Wall Street Journal

Four Reasons Why We Don't Care About Global Warming

Daniel Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, looks into the human brain for reasons why we ignore threats such as global warming.

July 5, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

The Paradox Of Gardens During War

A review of Kenneth Helphand's new book "Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime".

July 3, 2006 - The Capital Times

Photo Essay: LED Architecture

A photo essay illustrates how architects and planners are using inexpensive light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to transform urban skylines.

July 3, 2006 - Wired

Richard Florida Maps New Megalopolis(es)

Calling an entire country a major economic force just isn't accurate. At least, that's what Richard Florida contends. His article discusses the regional, not national, nature of areas that are making global impacts.

July 1, 2006 - Newsweek via MSNBC

New 'Burbs, New Suburbanism

Joel Kotkin asserts that "city sophisticates" praising downtown revivals and the New Urbanism must now admit that the suburbs are the center of attention in America and around the world.

June 29, 2006 - David Gest

Geoengineering: Futuristic Solutions for Global Warming

Giant orbiting sunshades, floating plastic islands, and other "far-out" ideas for addressing global warming deserve a serious look, say some of the world's prominent scientists.

June 28, 2006 - The New York Times

Stockton Leaves Its Crime-Ridden Past Behind

Once rife with crime, Stockton is taking baby steps towards reducing the crime rate and attracting development to one of the Central Valley's burgeoning population centers.

June 27, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

Global Warming Confirmed?

A new National Academy of Sciences report may have confirmed a disputed 1998 climate change study showing that the last few decades were the warmest ever recorded; yet it hasn't settled the issue as to whether man's activity is causing the change.

June 25, 2006 - The Washington Post

Urbanization's Toll On The Environment

The general consensus is that urbanization has had a negative effect on the environment, though its extent is difficult to define. Pollution is a common measure, and though some urban areas' air qualities are improving, others are falling far behind.

June 24, 2006 - BBC

Report Affirms Earth Temperature 'Hockey Stick' Graph

A report requested by the U.S. Congress validates the theory that the earth has grown hotter in the last century.

June 23, 2006 - BBC News

Are Cities Good For The World?

We are entering the "urban century": the majority of the world's population now lives in an urban setting. Is this good or bad? An article presents the cases for and against cities.

June 22, 2006 - The Ottawa Citizen

World Urban Forum Comes To Vancouver

The U.N.'s biennial forum on planning issues covers clean air and water, sanitation, pollution, safety, housing, poverty, alternative transportation and energy sources, and the increasing inequity between developing and developed countries.

June 19, 2006 - David Gest

Melting Permafrost Could Make Global Warming Worse

A new study finds that melting permafrost in Siberia could make global warming significantly worse by releasing up to 500 billion tons of Carbon Dioxide into the atmosphere, almost as much as the 700 billion tons currently in the atmosphere.

June 19, 2006 - Charles Siegel

U.N. Warns Of World's Failure To Curb Slum Growth

A report by the United Nations concludes that three decades of efforts to address urban poverty have failed.

June 17, 2006 - The Financial Times

Megacities, Mammoth Problems

Six of the world's fastest-growing megacities are examined in terms of their most pressing problems and what they are doing to address them.

June 16, 2006 - Foreign Policy

Global Population On Verge Of Urban Majority

Daily, hundreds of thousands of people are migrating from rural to urban areas. While cities in developed countries have the economy and infrastructure to handle the influx, developing countries are flooded with people and drowning in problems.

June 15, 2006 - BBC News

Global Warming: The Cost Of Inaction

Writer Elizabeth Kolbert warns that "reckless" delays in countering global warming can be dangerous.

June 12, 2006 - The Los Angeles Times

World's Desert Cities 'May be Living on Borrowed Time': UN Report

A new United Nations report states that while the world's desert cities are threatened by climate change and water depletion, they may also benefit from new investments in solar energy projects.

June 8, 2006 - The Guardian (UK)

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.