Sustainability
It's Not That Easy Greening Your Fleet
Austin and a number of other cities are working to reduce the carbon footprint left by their fleets of city vehicles. Austin officials are looking for ways to offset their remaining emissions.
The Green City of the Future
This multimedia presentation from Popular Science offers a vision of future green cities and the technologies that will sustain them.
Tornado Clears Way for LEED Platinum Building
The 5-4-7 Arts Center in Greensburg, Kansas gets a LEED platinum designation- evidence that the town, which was 95% destroyed by a tornado in May, 2006, is making good on its sustainable rebuilding plan.
Beyond the Backyard Garden: Urban Agriculture
Thanks to industrialized agriculture, there’s a wide gulf between those who produce food and those who consume it. Too many city-dwellers lack access to nutritious, non-processed foods. Dave Steel thinks that urban agriculture is the key.
Comprehensive Analysis of Transit Energy Conservation Benefits
A recent report by the libertarian Cato Institute, Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?, claims that public transit service improvements are ineffective at conserving energy and reducing pollution emissions. But this conclusion is based on faulty analysis.
An Alternative to the Water Bottle: Public Fountains
Awareness is increasing of the evils of the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. Elizabeth Royte suggests a solution- the return of the public fountain, a neglected staple of yesteryear.
Don't Fill-er-up With Stupidity
People’s response to death typically proceeds through various stages: disbelief, denial, anger, bargaining, guilt, and eventually acceptance and hope. Motorists’ response to increased fuel price seems to follow similar stages:
Mission Possible?
Despite naysayers, Masdar City is moving forward. The goal: to be the world's first modern-day carbon-free city.
A Sustainable City Rises From the Rubble
A year after a tornado destroyed the city of Greensburg, Kansas, the city and its residents are bounding back in an economically and environmentally sustainable way.
Questioning New York City's Sustinability Plan
With Mayor Bloomberg's congestion pricing plan defeated, can the city's vision for long-term sustainability be achieved?
Best Ideas of the Week
Another week has passed, and some more exciting and interesting ideas have taken root in the world of urban planning.
Building Sustainably For Dummies?
A new book from Landscape Architect Professor Carl Smith provides designers with an easy-to-use checklist for building sustainable housing.
Cities Putting Officials in Charge of Sustainability
As cities get serious about addressing climate change, a new city position -- the sustainability director -- is taking office all over the country.
Miami Moves Forward With Bicycle Planning
If you think of the most bicycle-friendly cities in America, surely you do not think of Miami. In fact, if you have ever been to the "Magic City," or perhaps live here, you probably shudder at the idea of using two wheels instead of four. That may be changing.
Dublin Disappearing?
Anne Street, Dublin City Center: A mixture of uses prevail in this pedestrian friendly, human-scaled street.
Creating Jobs Creates Sustainable Cities
Portland city officials are warming up to the idea that jobs are key to sustainable cities, and have proposed a plan to try to lure sustainable businesses to the city.
China's Green Stumbling Blocks
This video series from Frontline looks at plans to create an eco-friendly village in China and why those plans fell short of their goals.
A Practical Need for Utopianism
Who doesn’t love the Apocalypse? Society collapses, people run around in chaos, and we try to imitate the survival strategies culled from too many Hollywood end-of-the world blockbusters. Apocalyptic predictions have always been part of American culture, and why not?
Designing the way to Sustainability
Over the last few weeks, I have participated in two panels on Social and Environmental Sustainability. The first one was at the Ringling School of Art’s "Designing for Life" conference, the second was at BuildBoston where Adaptive Environments organized a day long symposium on Universal Design. In both cases, design took center stage. Design as a means towards change, and design as a business force. This is good news for advocates of Universal Design.
Can Everything Be Green?
As the current fascination with all things green grows with leaps and bounds, the question arises – are there any limits to what can be green?
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
