Sustainability

Washington DC Considers Modifying Height Limit On New Buildings

The 1910 law, responsible for preserving views of the capitol from most roof decks, is being challenged by a small group of architects and developers who believe a modest change would inject vitality, sustainability and revenue into the urban fabric.

November 6, 2010 - The Herald Tribune

EcoDistricts to Rise in Portland

Portland has five "eco-district" pilot projects in the works. The first two are expected to begin implementation over the next year, and organizers are hoping they lead to more sustainability efforts throughout the city.

October 27, 2010 - Sustainable Business Oregon

Portland's EcoDistricts

Launched in 2009 as an effort to choose five neighborhoods where sustainability measures could be quickly implemented and tested out, the city of Portland's EcoDistricts are entering their pilot phase.

October 19, 2010 - Next American City

A 'Network of Sensors' Around the City

An ambitious eco-city is going up in Portugal, complete with a central "brain" that monitors feedback on water, energy and transport systems.

October 12, 2010 - NewScientist

Reframing the Sustainability Argument

This podcast features a discussion with designer Bruce Mau, who talks about sustainability and why he loves the suburbs.

October 9, 2010 - Climate Desk

Seattle's Sustainability Cred Suffering

In the progressive city of Seattle, Worldchanging's Alex Steffen finds the metro area falling behind other American cities with what is becoming an out-dated land use policy.

October 7, 2010 - WorldChanging

West Baltimore's 'Highway to Nowhere' Coming Down

This past Friday, demolition began on a segment of Baltimore's infamous "Highway to Nowhere" to expand parking for the local commuter rail service (MARC). A side benefit: reuniting communities separated since the 1970s.

September 13, 2010 - Office of Govenor Martin O'Malley Press Release

Five State Capitals Chosen by EPA for Greening Efforts

The Environmental Protection Agency has named five state capitals as its first group of cities in a new effort called Greening America's Capitals.

September 12, 2010 - Reuters

In Oregon, Students Seek Key to a Sustainable City

Roughly 600 University of Oregon students will take part in the university's Sustainable Cities Initiative, which pulls together students of architecture, planning, law, journalism and business to make a plan to fix downtown Salem.

August 26, 2010 - New York Times/Greenwire

The Gradual Greening of Canadian Cities

Canadian cities like Montreal and Vancouver are riding the green train, aiming to transform themselves into some of the greenest cities in the world.

August 17, 2010 - The Canadian Press via Yahoo!

Can Preservation and Development Work Together?

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has teamed up with The International Living Building Institute have launched a contest to envision future cities using sustainable practices - a move that the NTHP doesn't find at odds with their mission.

July 25, 2010 - Metropolis Magazine

City of Columbus Adopts Far-Reaching Downtown Plan

Building on the urban renaissance of the last decade that saw residential population increase for the first time since 1950, the City of Columbus has set a bold vision for the future with the adoption of the 2010 Downtown Columbus Strategic Plan.

July 21, 2010 - The Columbus Dispatch

Sustainable and Obtainable

A new sustainable housing development breaking ground in Oregon has put affordability on the same pedestal as sustainability.

July 21, 2010 - The Oregonian

The Food Element of Sustainability in Baltimore

The City of Baltimore has appointed a new "food czar" to look at food health and access issues in the city. In the broader senses, though, officials in the city look at this new position as a part of their sustainability planning.

July 3, 2010 - Good

The Hidden Roadblock for Sustainability

According to Portland, Oregon Mayor Sam Adams, that roadblock is the lack of financing for clean technology upgrades for buildings. Fast Company talks to Adams about his goal to make Portland the most sustainable city in the world.

June 18, 2010 - Fast Company

The Sustainable Transportation Divide

Grist's David Roberts attended a national conference on the future of transportation at Ohio State in early May and noticed a divide in the concluding discussion on how panelists approached the issue of sustainability in transportation.

May 10, 2010 - Grist

Buffalo to Get Form-Based Code

The Buffalo News praises efforts by Mayor Byron W. Brown to completely rewrite the city's 59-year-old zoning code. The Mayor's initiative, dubbed the Buffalo Green Code, would place a new emphasis on sustainability and walkable neighborhoods.

May 6, 2010 - Buffalo News

A Self-Sustaining Urban Fish Farm

The Massachusetts Avenue Project in Buffalo's West Side is an urban fish farm designed to be a completely self-sustaining ecosystem, with food for the fish grown on the premises.

April 28, 2010 - Buffalo News

Buffalo to Implement Citywide Green Code

Mayor Byron Brown announced that the city's new code will be the "Buffalo Green Code," supporting walkable, sustainable neighborhoods.

April 24, 2010 - Buffalo Rising

Running Cities Like A Business

Former Albuquerque Mayor Martin J. Chavez writes that the great success of Mayor Bloomberg's PlanNYC is due in large part to a process that borrowed key principles from the business world.

April 20, 2010 - Environmental Leader

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.