Energy

Zoning for Turbines

The city of Cumberland, Maryland is prepping a new zoning text amendment to regulate wind turbines, primarily to create height restrictions on turbines over 150 ft. in height.

June 4, 2009 - Cumberland Times

Scramble for the LEED

As the U.S. Green Building Council prepares to give its LEED-AP certification standards a major overhaul, test takers are scrambling to take the exam before it becomes a whole new ballgame.

June 1, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

LaHood To Learn From Spain On HSR

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood is visiting Spain, hoping to glean some knowledge from the country's recent successes with high-speed rail.

June 1, 2009 - The New York Time - Energy & Environment

Underused Natural Gas Capacity

Our underused natural gas capacity could almost completely replace our current coal-generated energy, argues Sean Casten, President & CEO of Recycled Energy Development.

May 31, 2009 - Grist

Green Developments Getting Green Light

Developers are finding it easier to get funding for sustainable building projects due to federal incentives and investor interest in green certification.

May 30, 2009 - Apartment Finance Today

Smart Meters Will Save The World

Columnist Stephen Cunningham of the BBC believes that technology like smart meters in homes will provide the necessary reduction in CO2 to reduce global warming.

May 29, 2009 - BBC News

Clinton Promoting 'Climate-Positive' Communities

Last week in Seoul, Bill Clinton announced a new collaboration between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council to go beyond the single LEED building and create new green development models for whole communities.

May 27, 2009 - The New York Times

Fighting Energy Ugliness

With communities balking at the purported ugliness of windtowers and solar panels, a Dutch company proposes using nature's own designs.

May 27, 2009 - Fast Company

The Challenge of Turning Blue Collars Green

The new documentary The Greening of Southie follows construction workers in Boston as they adapt to the new rules and regulations of green development (sometimes unwittingly).

May 27, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Learning How to be Clean and Green from Germany

Germany's experience in implementing environmentally-friendly concepts like green roofs, wind power and other renewables is pointing the way for many American decisionmakers.

May 27, 2009 - The New York Times

Nuclear Not the Answer, Says MIT Study

While nuclear energy is being touted as a possible savior for global warming, an updated MIT study says the technology hasn't progressed and is still too expensive.

May 24, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

Will it be a Small World After All?

In his new book 'Why Your World is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller' economist Jeff Rubin describes how 'peak oil' will reverse globalization, revitalize cities and reinvigorate Canada's manufacturing base.

May 20, 2009 - The Globe and Mail

Combining Infrastructures

A team of French designers are the winners of Metropolis’s 2009 Next Generation competition with their design for a combined electrical-transmission tower and landfill.

May 20, 2009 - Metropolis Magazine

White Roofs Can Be Wrong Roofs

White roofs have gained cachet as a solution to the urban heat island effect. But in places where there are more cold days than hot, a white roof that reflects warming sunlight might not make the best sense, according to this piece.

May 20, 2009 - Miller-McCune

Green School Building Bill Passes House

The Democrats of the U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill that would create a green school building program in the U.S., investing more than $6 billion in its first year to build more environmentally friendly schools.

May 18, 2009 - NPR

Cities Focus on Existing Buildings To Save Energy

Old buildings could be to blame for much of a city's energy waste. That's the case in New York, where officials are putting together a plan to retrofit older buildings to be less wasteful.

May 14, 2009 - Grist

A City Without Cars

Michigan's Mackinac Island has been car-free since 1898. GOOD Magazine pays a visit to the island and finds that far from being Luddite, the island is very progressive, from extensive wifi to hydroelectric power.

May 12, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Don't Forget the Garbage

Using waste to create alternative energy is a strategy the Obama administration is neglecting, says North America’s largest garbage hauler Waste Management Inc.

May 11, 2009 - Bloomberg.com

The Legacy of Bucky Fuller

The results are in for the Annual Buckminster Fuller Design Challenge. The winning designs include robo-scooters, biocentres, and a "future map".

May 11, 2009 - Seed Magazine

Electricity from Biomass More Efficient than Ethanol

A new study by researchers at the University of California, Merced suggests that using biomass to create electricity to power cars could be more efficient than using the same biomass to create ethanol to power cars.

May 11, 2009 - UC Merced

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.