North America
Walking Up Housing Values, and Making Smarter Cities
Walkability improves home values, according to a new report. Smart City talks with economist Joe Cortright about the study, and with IBM about its new "Smarter Cities" technology report.
Tourism Through Authenticity
This episode of Smart City examines some new thinking in the realm of city tourism, focusing providing visitors more authentic experiences.
Oh, Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?
Researchers at the Pew Charitable Trust have found that the neighborhood in which a child is raised is a powerful indicator of adult economic success.
The Transportation Prescription
A new report identifies ways to incorporate health objectives into transportation and land use planning.
New Study Recommends Efficient On-Street Parking Pricing and Management
A new study identifies innovative approaches to efficiently manage San Francisco's curbside parking supply, particularly in neighborhoods.
Combining Trails and Transit
Cities can expand transit service areas by providing convenient access by bike.
Misleading LEED Claims
This piece from Grist looks at the use and abuse of the sustainability buzzword "LEED".
Brainstorm: Can Cities Shrink Gracefully? Should They? How?
As the recession digs in, cities across the country are left with large swaths of abandoned or vacant places. Can these cities shrink gracefully? Do they even need to? Vote on ideas submitted by the Planetizen community, or suggest your own.
Good Parks Good for Urban Economies
Anne Schwartz compiles recent studies on the economic value of parks, describing how an investment in parks by the city will result in a healthier urban economy.
Fewer Cars for Better Cities
Cities are warming up to the idea that planning for the future means more car sharing programs and fewer parking spaces.
Bad Habits Persist in Designs for Future Malls
A competition to design the shopping mall of the future produces some surprisingly non-futuristic results, according to juror and commentator Allison Arieff.
More Nature in the City? Maybe, Via Public Art
San Francisco, Houston, and Indianapolis are featuring public art installations that mimic and highlight nature in urban areas.
If A German Town Can Go Car-Free, Why Not America?
An article in the New York Times this week profiled Vauban, Germany, a town without cars. NYTime's Room for Debate Blog asked planners and developers to envision a car-free town in America.
VMT Fees: The Answer to Traffic Congestion?
Pricing road use by vehicle miles traveled (VMT) with higher fees for using congested roads could reduce travel time, claim researchers at Brookings.
To Make Planning Relevant, Turn to Open-Source Methods
Urban planning is falling into obsolescence, according to this piece, but employing old bottom-up techniques that value input from a variety of sources will make it relevant again.
Downturn Hits Architecture Firms
With high-profile private-sector clients scaling back prestige projects in the face of the economic downturn, architectural firms are looking instead to institutional clients and retrofitting existing buildings.
Buildings Going Green, On Top At Least
This piece from National Geographic looks at how green roofs are sweeping across the tops of buildings all over the world.
Jobs Sprawling in Metro Areas
Recent research from the Brookings Institution looks at 98 metropolitan areas and finds that fewer people are working close to downtowns, and there are fewer jobs located in those areas.
The Auto Bailout's "Policy Paradox"
The American and Canadian governments are caught in a "policy paradox:" they want to promote green vehicles but they need to save their domestic auto industries. Both may not be possible, says Konrad Yakabuski.
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
