South Korea
Seoul’s Urban Parks Blossom with Books
The Reading in Seoul Garden event invited residents to enjoy free reading and relaxation activities, including digital and live programs, in scenic parks, fostering a sense of community amid the city’s autumn landscapes.
Second Anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 11 marked the second anniversary of WHO's declaration of the pandemic and the beginning of its third year. Cases continue to plummet in the U.S. and plateau globally while war in Europe has overshadowed the virus that has killed 6 million.
Pumping More Oil to Lower Gas Prices
Proponents of increased oil drilling in the U.S. to replace banned Russian oil argue that it will decrease prices at the pump. A Texas reporter examined the claim with a University of Texas energy analyst. If only it was that simple.
Academic Studies: Staying at Home Saved Millions of Lives Globally
Separate coronavirus studies from the University of California at Berkeley and Imperial College London published June 8 in the journal Nature show the life and health-saving value of domestic stay-at-home orders, global lockdowns, and other measures.
The Singapore Exception
Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong were credited early in the pandemic with having successfully contained the coronavirus without resorting to lockdowns. However, Singapore lost its standing in that elite group. Crowding vs. density may explain why.
Coronavirus Success Stories
While the U.S. leads the world in COVID-19 infections and deaths, a small group of nations defied the odds and has shown remarkable success in containing the coronavirus. NPR investigates what they share in common, with a focus on New Zealand.
U.S. Needs to More Than Triple Testing Before States Can Open, Study Says
The United States currently tests about 145,000 people daily. A Harvard study calls for a minimum of 500,000 daily, but that's on the low end if the country wants to prevent shutting down again due to a second wave of the coronavirus.
At Last—A Really Good Use for Drive-Through Facilities
When it comes to containing the spread of the deadly coronavirus, China and Italy are demonstrating the use of lockdowns and quarantines. South Korea has gone a different route, using widespread testing administered in drive-through facilities.
The Basement Apartments of Seoul’s Urban Poor
The lives of Seoul's poorest residents in squalid below-ground housing are brought out of the shadows in the film "Parasite."
Carbon Taxes and Climate Change Are Focus of Nobel Prize for Economics
The Nobel Prize was issued the same day as a landmark report by the IPCC predicting dire consequences if emissions aren't reduced. That's what William D. Nordhaus of Yale University has devoted his career to addressing.
Fertility Rates, Birth Rates, Births Fell to Record Lows in U.S. Last Year
Births and birth rates dropped to a 30-year low, not an issue of concern yet, but if the trend continues, the U.S. could join other developed nations that must deal with the consequences of an aging population. Immigration plays an uncertain factor.
'No Driving Day' in Seoul Means Free Transit Rides
South Korea has made public transit a key part of its approach to cleaning the air.
The Place of Water in Urban Design: An International Perspective
How cities around the world have approached thinking about how water management fits in to urban planning.
What Happened When a Neighborhood Banned Cars for a Month
A recently published book describes the outcomes of the EcoMobility festival held in Suwon, South Korea during September of 2013.
Urban River Revitalization Across the Globe
Urban Times offers a list of 13 urban river renewal projects spanning from Medellin to Manila.
A Korean City for Books and Architecture
Shannon Mattern visits a "a publishers’ enclave" that is seeking to reinvent Korean publishing, architecture and urban planning in the wetlands near the Demilitarized Zone.
When It Comes to Conservation, the Tables Slowly Turn in the Global North-South Divide
Announced at a recent United Nations summit on biodiversity, India’s pledge of $50 million to assist developing countries with conservation efforts marks a significant shift in the way environmental protection is funded worldwide.
Map Apps Move Indoors
A time when your mobile phone can help you navigate the homogenous corridors of an indoor mall as easily as the route that got you there is, seemingly, not far off, as Seoul unveils an app that can navigate the city both above and below street level.
New South Korean 'Mini-Capital' Aims to Rebalance Country's Development
With South Korean officials set to move into their sparkling new "mini capital" next month, Chico Harlan examines plans for the new city that "will either drive growth outside the overpopulated capital or end up as an ill-conceived waste of money."
Testing the Smart Grid
South Korea is making perhaps the biggest moves towards creating a vast "smart" electricity grid with a test grid of homes equipped with new meters and applications that communicate with each other and the grid.
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.
Ascent Environmental
Borough of Carlisle
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
