North America
Opening Data Makes Finding Urban Solutions Easier
Next American City's Christian Madera reports on a series of seminars looking at how the growing open data movement is helping to offer cities solutions to some of their operational problems.
Locavore Movement, Ecological Concerns Spur Urban Apiaries
In an effort to help rebuild bee populations and support healthy diets and urban ecosystems, more cities are encouraging efforts at urban beekeeping.
Farming Settles into the City
The idea of urban farming has gone from fringe to functional, with backyards plots and small infill operations teeming across North America. Lloyd Alter takes a look at the trend.
Making Public Spending Public
In an effort to improve accountability, more government agencies are freeing data about public expenditures.
Post-Katrina, New Urbanists Help Haiti
Philip Langdon compares the New Urban response to New Orleans and Haiti.
Google Gets Bike-Friendly
The latest addition to Google Maps is a bicycle service, helping cyclists plan routes, find bike trails, and avoid hills.
Dropping Bombs and Dropping Parking Lots
This post from The Overhead Wire looks at the impact of parking lot sprawl in American downtowns -- and finds a striking resemblance between those downtowns and bomb-ravaged cities from World War Two.
Sustainable Urban Farming Through Aquaponics
Aquaponics offer urbanites a new way to farm sustainably in space- and resource-poor areas.
Guide To Charging For Parking
The Victoria Transport Policy Institute has released this report to guide municipalities to transition from 'free' parking (though author Todd Litman is quick to point out that it is never free) to charging for parking directly.
The Science of Resiliency in Cities
Resilience science has typically been applied to ecosystems. But now, scientists are starting to look at how it relates to cities.
Canada Housing Prices Return to Pre-Recession Peak
What housing slump? Canada's real estate recovery has been so fast, some analysts worry it signals a return to speculation.
The Economics of Greenfield Development
This essay from The Urbanophile looks at the economics behind greenfield development.
It Seemed Like a Good Idea
Witold Rybczynski takes a look at architecture that has fared poorly with time.
Improving City Services Through Technology
This infographic from GOOD looks at how city departments can use technology to better share data, and improve communication with citizens and streamline city services.
New Non-Salt Strategies for Snowy Cities
Winter brings snowy conditions to roads in many cities, and many react with snow-melting salt solutions. But the physical and environmental damage of salt is leading some to look for other means of fighting the freeze.
Electric Cars Must Wait (For Lower Battery Costs)
A new study from the Boston Consulting Group concludes that gasoline powered-vehicles will predominate till at least 2020; doubtful of their ability to attract customers, contradicting brighter industry forecasts predominantly due to battery costs.
A Bright Outlook For Freight Railroads
While rail is known to be much greener than its competitor long-distance trucking, it is also a key component to globalization and big-box retail. This article spotlights the growth of Burlington Northern Santa Fe RR and the Port of Los Angeles.
Expanding Collaboration Beyond Designers
This essay from Urban Omnibus calls for greater collaboration in urban design -- both amongst designers and architects, and with the surrounding community.
Creating Car-Reduced and Car-Free Pedestrian Habitats
It will take a long time for the US to embrace pedestrians, bicycling, and electric carts as substitutes for cars in our communities. And yet an inevitable change is coming that will significantly increase environmental quality, and restore real community and economic viability. Changing legislation, master planning, and the development of car-reduced and car-free communities will move us forward, writes Greg Ramsey.
Is Riding Transit Necessarily Better For The Environment Than Driving?
In the third of a 5-part "Rethinking Green" series, the National Post casts doubt on public transit's ability to reduce global warming while praising driving; applying similar scrutiny to recycling and aquaculture in the first and second installments
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
