Europe

Bicycling in U.S. is Risky Business

The US has never encouraged cycling as a practical mode of travel, and as a result, biking to work is a rare and hazardous activity, with four times the fatality rate of some European countries. A Rutgers University study shows how that can change.

June 15, 2008 - New Urban News

Using Cellphone GPS, Researchers Prove We're Homebodies

GPS from cellphones is enabling exciting research into human behavior, but European studies show that our behavior is rarely exciting.

June 7, 2008 - International Herald Tribune

Friday Bummer: Really Long Headways at Fake Bus Stop Keep Alzheimer's Patients From Disappearing

A senior care facility in Germany teamed with the local transit agency to install a fake bus stop near the home to stem occupant disappearances after Alzheimer's patients repeatedly wandered off site to catch buses at real stops.

June 6, 2008 - Telegraph

It's Just Like Riding A Bike...Mostly, Kinda

What can leaders of a particularly hilly city do to encourage cycling? Well, they can try making it easier to ride a bike.

June 4, 2008 - Citymayors.com

Planning the Paris of the Future

French President Sarkozy's call for 'audacious' plans for a Paris of the future has been answered by some of the world's top architects and designers, but some wonder how any of the plans can work within the constraints of the existing city.

June 3, 2008 - The Globe & Mail

Sweden Creates Sewage-Powered Cars, But Auto Industry Lags Behind

Household sewage is currently fueling cars in Sweden, and has for years. But Swedish industry has given up on the idea, investing in ethanol-based gasoline.

May 30, 2008 - International Herald Tribune

Surging Fuel Prices Spur Green Backlash in Europe

With dramatically increasing fuel costs, European consumers formerly amenable to "green" taxes are turning against them, leading to fears that ambitious emission-control policies may not be achievable.

May 29, 2008 - The Globe & Mail

Harvesting the Wind on the Open Ocean

Offshore drilling company StatoilHydro is finding a new way to get energy at sea- with large-scale wind turbines.

May 29, 2008 - Energy Business Review

Budapest To Encourage Cycling

Thick congestion has politicians in Budapest looking at ways to improve mobility -- mainly by encouraging bicycle use.

May 28, 2008 - AFP

Where Cyclists And Motorists Are Friends

To make North American cities more bicycle friendly, planners should look to Stockholm, Sweden and Freiburg, Germany -- two European cities were bikes and cars happily co-exist on the street.

May 15, 2008 - The Ottawa Citizen

Belgian Town Seeks Immigration Control Through Language Requirement

Flemish nationalists in small-town Belgium are hoping to keep immigrants out by requiring that all schoolchildren speak Flemish -- an attack on the droves of French-speaking immigrants that have descended on the country.

May 15, 2008 - The New York Times

Sweden Tops All Nations As Climate-Friendly

One country stands out in Europe in surpassing the greenhouse gas emission reductions required by the Kyoto Protocol - Sweden. While it used several environmental technologies to achieve those reductions, experts give credit to its carbon tax.

May 10, 2008 - The Guardian

Strenghtening The Center City Is Not Enough

Harald Bodenschatz calls for a radical shift in the urban planning discourse when he claims for a revitalization not only of the downtown, but of the district centers and of suburbia itself, which should be made denser and more valuable.

April 29, 2008 - The Urban Reinventors Online Urban Journal

Critical Mass on Eight Wheels

Streetfilms looks at the livable streets movement in Paris and a twice-weekly "critical mass" over roller skaters that often brings crowds of thousands.

April 26, 2008 - Streetsblog

Party on the Streetcar

Party organizers in Prague have set up a monthly party that takes place on one of the city's streetcars as it drives through town.

April 24, 2008 - The New York Times

City Silences Cell Phones On Transit

Responding to the growing backslash against cell phone chatter, the city of Graz, Austria has banned cell phone use on its public transit system.

April 20, 2008 - Associated Press

Support Wanes for Turkey's Controversial Dam

A massive dam project in Turkey that would flood historic areas and displace 50,000 people is losing international support, as officials in Germany threaten to pull out of the project -- often called a smaller version of China's Three Gorges Dam.

April 20, 2008 - Der Spiegel

German City a Model for 'Sane Transportation'

The German city of Bremen has lessons to teach North American cities about sustainable transportation, according to this article from The Toronto Star.

April 18, 2008 - The Toronto Star

Friday Funny: 142 Years Of Planning, But Still No Bridge

142 years after it was first proposed and with $235 million spent with nothing to show for it, the unrealized link between Sicily and the Italian mainland might be planning at its worst.

April 11, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

Putin Plans to Propose Russia-U.S. Tunnel

Former Russian president Vladimir Putin has announced his intentions to propose that Russia and the United States move forward with plans from the early 20th century to build a 64-mile tunnel between the two countries.

April 1, 2008 - The Times (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.