World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
Major Increase in Global Carbon Emissions Projected for 2018
The report from the Global Carbon Project, an international group of scientists who track greenhouse gas emissions, comes as a surprise as emissions had been relatively flat for the last four years. Global emissions this year will increase 2.7%.
President Macron Acquiesces to Yellow Vests' Demands on Fuel Tax Hike
Despite statements to the contrary just a week ago, Macron reversed position and caved to the demonstrators' demands that upcoming fuel tax hikes be suspended.
Inequality Found in the 'Unstudied Neighborhoods' Too
A new journal article calls out the academic community of planning and urbanism for relying too much on the usual suspects when researching marginalization and inequality, and assuming too much about what makes a neighborhood "normal."
Compact Cities Are Environmentally and Economically More Sustainable
Sprawl leads to more emissions, but the economic costs are also high. Policies and strategies that ensure compact growth are essential.
NASA's Urban Plan for Space Settlements
A 1977 NASA publication laid out a plan for the future of space settlements. The future of space looks very urban.
Top 10 Urban Planning Books - 2018
Planetizen's annual list of top books covers subjects in all varieties of planning: urban planning, community planning, environmental planning, and more.
Amazon’s Growth and Influence Continue
The e-commerce behemoth has its hand in everything from warehouse development to renewable energy.
Pacific Northwest Gears Up for Another Fossil Fuel Export Fight
Just two years after killing what would be the world's largest methanol plant at the Port of Tacoma, the project has reemerged at the Port of Kalama. According to the EIS for the plant, global CO2 emissions will be reduced, though increased locally.
The Problems With Suburbs Are Numerous. Is a Change of Course Possible?
American suburbs are growing, and understanding the evolution of suburban sprawl is a useful guide for the future.
Global Coal Consumption Grows After Three Years of Decline
The rise is attributed to Asian nations, particularly India and China, where coal-power plants are newer than in the West. It shows a growing disconnect between energy and climate goals, warned the International Energy Agency.
Delhi Metro Joins the 300 km Club
Only nine cities in the world—just one in the United States—have more than 300 kilometers of metro train tracks. Until recently that number was eight.
New Global Survey of the Ethics of Autonomous Vehicles
A paper published in the journal Nature reveals the findings of a survey of 2 million people in 200 countries on the ethics of the "trolley problem" as applied to self-driving cars.
Wind Turbines the Size of Football Fields
New offshore windmills are taller and bigger than their predecessors, and they will produce more power.
Women's Safety and Security: A Public Transport Priority
Surveys indicate that women often feel exposed to threatening and unwelcome behaviour when using public transport. This report examines this problem and potential solutions from various perspectives.
TEDx: How Will Autonomous Vehicles Transform Cities?
Nico Larco presents a TEDx Talk on the impacts AVs will have on cities, including impacts on land use, land valuation, and the environment. AVs are more than just a transportation issue, and planners need to prepare for the coming changes.
Jeff Speck’s Step-by-Step Guide to Making Better Urban Places
The new Walkable City Rules by Jeff Speck is an excellent book that can help your city become more hospitable to humans. Urban thinker Kaid Benfield reviews.
IKEA Report: Many Americans Seek Solitude in Their Cars
An international survey from IKEA finds fewer Americans feel at home in the place where they live.
As Temperatures Increase, Maps Show Sea-Level Rise Will Devastate Cities
Data visualizations illustrate the catastrophic consequences of single-digit global temperature increases.
The Fragility of Growth in a Post-Industrial City
A chapter by Jeremy Nowak, who passed away this summer, adapted from the book "Shared Prosperity in America’s Communities."
The Most Carbon-Intensive Component of Electric Vehicles Deserves Attention
It's well known that an electric vehicle is only as clean, from a greenhouse gas perspective, as the electricity it consumes to power it. A new study finds that the electricity used in the manufacturing of car batteries also must be considered.
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
