Environment
The Gulf Oil Spill Illustrates a Corrupt Regulatory System
On the Commons criticizes the policy of 'enclosure' that has allowed "the systemic failures of the regulatory system and its political sponsors, Congress and the President," to go unnoticed.
BP Disaster Endangering Coastal Cultures
The Gulf Coast is home to diverse ethnic and racial communities that have already endured decades of pollution from chemical and petroleum industries. The BP leak may be the "nail in the coffin" for many of these communities, writes Jordan Flaherty.
We're All to Blame for Gulf Disaster
William Rivers Pitt says it's all too easy to blame BP or the politicians who deregulated the oil industry. Ultimately, he says, all of us are to blame for the Gulf oil disaster and the damage wrought by fossil fuels.
Economic Fallout of Gulf Disaster Could Top $200 Billion
While the scale and extent of the oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico are still unknown, the potential damage could mean a severe blow to the Gulf's $234 billion economy.
Call Yourself "Green"? Then Stop Driving!
In the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil catastrophe, Geography professor Jason Henderson calls out "green" liberals who insist on driving.
O.C. Homeowners Sued for Removing Lawn
In Orange, California, city codes require that front yards be 40% landscaping. After considerately adding drought-resistant plants and bark to save water, the city sued an Orange couple.
Portland Learning from Los Angeles
An interdisciplinary team of urban designers, architects, and analysts have proposed a neo-retro-futurist scenario for making downtown Portland nearly car-free by 2050.
Are Passenger-Miles a Valid Measure of Anything?
Every so often, one sees an article arguing that one mode of transportation is cheaper, more efficient, or less dangerous than another because it uses less energy/kills more people/costs more per passenger-mile. (1) It seems to me, however, that per passenger-mile comparisions are flawed in one key respect: they assume that trips on any mode of transportation will involve the same mileage, so that if the average driver lives 20 miles from work, the average bus rider will also live 20 miles from work.
Food and Urban Form
Carolyn Steel gives a talk inspired by her new book "Hungry Cities," about the history of feeding urban areas, and the ways in which food might reach increasingly urban populations in the future.
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.
Nearly Car-free Housing Development: A Radical Experiment
Hayward, which is an East Bay suburb of San Francisco, has laid the groundwork for a nearly car-free housing development for environmentally conscious living.
Powerful Human Impact on Landscapes and Environment
The videos from the time-lapse images compiled from NASA Earth Observatory show some most impressive conquests of man over environment.
Electric Cars are Coming!
We're sorry to be buzz kills. But we've heard this one before. Like in 1990. And 1910. Do the automakers have the juice this time?
Swine Flu and the Prospects for Urban Agriculture
The present threat of a global pandemic reveals the fundamental problem with visions for 'sustainable cities' relying on urban agriculture: there are important medical reasons for separating livestock operations from people.
A Whole New World
Sara Robinson of the Campaign for America's Future outlines in the first of a series of articles why we simply won't be able to "return to normal."
Draft EIR on SF's Bike Plan Released
A court order prohibits new bicycle infrastructure in San Francisco, but its Municipal Transportation Agency and Planning Department have crafted a 1,353-page Draft Environmental Impact Report to make a case against it.
Austin Aims For Greener Events and Festivals
Officials in Austin, Texas, are drafting what's believed to be the nation's most substantive sustainability policy for special events--including measures to reduce waste and conserve water and energy.
Obama to Overturn Bush on Climate Change?
President-elect Barack Obama is set to overturn as many as 200 Bush-era decisions, including those aimed at addressing greenhouse gas emissions and recognizing climate change.
Canadians Reject 'Green Shift' at the Polls
Canadians went to the polls yesterday and re-elected Stephen Harper's Conservative Party -- which downplayed environmental issues -- while rejecting the "Green Shift" carbon tax plan of the Liberal Party.
Redesigning Nature to Clean Up Our Messes
A landscape architect from M.I.T. is proposing to create a whole new ecosystem to address water pollution problems in Italy.
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
