Energy

The Sustainable Transportation Divide

Grist's David Roberts attended a national conference on the future of transportation at Ohio State in early May and noticed a divide in the concluding discussion on how panelists approached the issue of sustainability in transportation.

May 10, 2010 - Grist

U.S. Carbon Emissions Drop 7%

In the most significant decrease since 1949, carbon emissions in the U.S. fell 7% in 2009. Sadly, part of the falloff is the result of the economic crisis.

May 10, 2010 - Fast Company

Iron Man 2 and the Future of Energy

The plot of the summer blockbuster Iron Man 2 revolves around a fictional 1974 Expo, with the slogan "Better Living Through Technology." Managing Editor Tim Halbur says the film reflects the misplaced faith in technology and innovation that still drives Americans optimism.

May 9, 2010 - Tim Halbur

What Obama Should do About Energy

The Deepwater Horizon disaster presents President Obama with an opportunity to "move boldly" on alternative energy, writes Bill McKibben.

May 7, 2010 - AlterNet

Turning Excess Heat Into Energy

'Waste heat' is a hot area of research as an alternative energy source. Providers say they can turn excess heat produced by machines in factories into clean electricity.

May 4, 2010 - greentechmedia

I'm Not A City Planner, But I Play One in Video Games

Today IBM is releasing a new video game called CityOne that reportedly is like SimCity but with more serious environmental and economic issues at stake. And yes, the gamer plays the role of a city planner.

May 4, 2010 - Fast Company

Controversial Offshore Wind Farm off Massachusetts Approved

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today approved the first offshore wind farm in the United States, a project that faced vocal opposition from local tribes and others.

April 28, 2010 - The Boston Globe

New Amtrak Train Runs On Beef

Beef by-products, turned into bio-diesel, make up 20% of the fuel being used today by Amtrak's Heartland Flyer between Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.

April 28, 2010 - Fast Company

The Rise of the Electric Bike

In China, an estimated 120 million electric bicycles are on the streets. So why haven't they caught on in the U.S.? Reporter Alan Durning thinks its time.

April 25, 2010 - WorldChanging

Spinning for Dinner

A hotel in Copenhagen offers $40 meal vouchers for anyone who produces 10 watt hours of electricity using their wired-up stationery bicycles.

April 23, 2010 - Next100 (PG&E blog)

Chicago, Capital of Green Roofs?

Chicago City Hall boasts one of the world's most famous green roofs. As a result, the city has a reputation for being the capital of green roofs. But as architecture critic Blair Kamin notes from a bird's eye view, that's not exactly the case.

April 23, 2010 - Chicago Tribune

On the Mesa, Off the Grid

A mesa in New Mexico is home to nearly 400 people, which makes up one of the largest communities of people in the U.S. living almost completely off the grid.

April 20, 2010 - The New York Times

Climate/Energy Gas Tax Nixed

Despite many reports to the contrary, the developing climate legislation by Senators Graham, Lieberman, and Kerry to be unveiled April 26 will not include a fuel fee, reports The Hill. And don't blame the oil industry - they supported the gas tax.

April 19, 2010 - The Hill - On the Money

Small Towns Seek to Buy Back Energy Infrastructure

Small German towns that had sold off their energy utilities to large corporations in the 1990s are trying to buy them back. They want to be back in on the lucrative energy market, but have large and formidable opponents.

April 19, 2010 - Der Spiegel

Denmark Leading the Way on Garbage to Energy Conversion

Clean-tech incinerators are making their way into Danish neighborhoods. Why is the U.S. not implementing this technology? Environmental groups hate them, and land fills have been abundant.

April 17, 2010 - The New York Times

U.S. Armed Forces Predicting Peak Oil

Surplus oil production capacity could go away in the next two years and shortages could get serious by 2015, says a new report from the U.S. Joint Forces.

April 16, 2010 - AutoBlogGreen

Giving Neighborhoods a Role in PlaNYC

New York City's long-term sustainability plan is coming up on its three-year anniversary. Tom Angotti says that now's the time to take its broad citywide efforts down to the neighborhood level.

April 15, 2010 - Gotham Gazette

Green Building Flourishes in New Orleans

With more than 500 energy-efficient homes with environmentally friendly features are being built in New Orleans. This rise in green building is being called one of the positive legacies of Hurricane Katrina.

April 13, 2010 - USA Today

Planning for Sustainability, Japanese-Style

Artist and student of architecture Azby Brown has spent 25 years in Japan, and today sees a number of design principles that drive the Japanese way of building and living that can be used by designers.

April 8, 2010 - Design Observer

Wind Goes From Curse to Boon for Struggling Texas Town

Roscoe, Texas is a rural town that was declining by degrees for decades, with a fierce wind that made crops difficult. A local started a wind farm business and the town is turning around, turning its curse into a blessing.

April 7, 2010 - NEWS21

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.