Central and South America
Central and South America
Sign, Sign, Nowhere a Sign
Sao Paulo Brazil has implemented a ban on outdoor advertising, calling it "visual pollution."
Brazilian "Sustainable Development Settlements" Ravage the Amazon
Greenpeace is claiming that a Brazilian scheme to settle tens of thousands of families has become little more than a "scam" to sell off logging rights in the Amazon.
Utopian Industrial City Becomes Model For Urban Disarray
Planners intended Ciudad Guayana to be the "Pittsburgh of the tropics". Today, the city has lost its former prosperity and is grappling with a array of urban epidemics.
A Middle Class Emerges In Latin America
Improvements in public services and rising wages are fostering the creation of a prosperous middle class in many Latin American countries.
Infamous Drug City Is Reborn
Medellín, Colombia, has escaped from the bloody grips of the violent drug warfare that consumed its streets in the 1980s to become a vibrant and active city.
Tree Replacement Project Sparks Protests In Santo Domingo
Residents of the Dominican capital are outraged by the government's move to cut down mature trees in the city's colonial areas.
Environmental Concerns Surround Panama Canal Expansion
As the Central American country moves forward with plans to expand the width of its heavily-used canal, locals and scientists question whether a reforestation plan along canal banks will affect the area's supply of drinking water.
Fighting Crime With Infrastructure
The president of Brazil has pledged nearly $2 billion to improve basic services and infrastructure in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. He hopes that providing running water, schools, and better roads will counteract the high crime rate in the slums.
How Poor Planning Creates Slums
By ignoring the "spinoff" effects of urban growth and sprawl, planners in Jamaica have unwittingly encouraged the creation of slums and overcrowded urban centers, according to experts.
Bogotá vs Curitiba
UCLA Professor Randall Crane blogs about his observations on the differences between Curitiba, Brazil and Bogotá, Colombia.
Preserving Marley's Government Yard In Trenchtown
The public housing project where reggae legend Bob Marley lived is being re-envisioned as a historic site and tourist area. But high crime in the depressed neighborhood poses a challenge to dreams of a tourist-friendly shrine to Marley.
Mexican Exodus May Bring End To Many Towns
Migration of workers from Mexico to the U.S. is creating a drain of workers -- and a viable future -- from many Mexican towns.
Car-Free and Carefree in Colombia
Bogota, Colombia, has turned itself around by focusing on using the public realm to promote the greatest amount of happiness. First stop? Car-free days.
Fighting Congestion At Home And Abroad
In exchange for a discount on oil for London's bus system, city transit officials will lend their expertise to the city of Caracas, Venezuela, in an effort to reduce the city's crippling congestion.
Amazon Tribe Looks To Use Google Earth To Prevent Logging
A Brazilian tribe is in talks with Google to use its satellite imaging program to monitor and prevent illegal logging in the tribal reservation of more than 600,000 acres in the Amazon rainforest.
Brazil's Controversial Amazon Dam Project
Critics warn $11 billion hydroelectric dam project could cause environmental damage while supporters point to economic and infrastructure benefits.
Rainforest Vs. Oil Reserves: Will Preservation Prevail?
With significant oil reserves in its rainforests and rampant poverty, Ecuador has a dilemma. The country's president is asking the international community to compensate the country for its plans to protect the rainforest by not drilling for the oil.
The Old Fashioned Transit Solution In Brazil
A look at how Sao Paulo's extensive bus system keeps the crowded Brazilian city's 18 million residents moving.
Venezuela's Community Councils
In Venezuela, small community councils funded by oil money are popping up all over the country, taking control over local decisions such as public education, infrastructure, and building plans.
Ambitious Country-Wide Infrastructure Plan May Be Unrealistic
Brazil has announced an expansive and ambitious plan to update its crumbling infrastructure. But some critics say the proposal is not feasible.
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
