Technology

Will There Be More Electric Charging Stations Than Cars To Plug-In?

Charging stations for electric cars are multiplying much faster than the plug-in vehicles that can use them for many reasons. While the federal subsidies help, some in the business community believe that the chargers will attract new customers.

October 20, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal - Technology

Will There Be More Electric Charging Stations Than Cars To Plug-In?

Charging stations for electric cars are multiplying much faster than the plug-in vehicles that can use them for many reasons. While the federal subsidies help, some in the business community believe that the chargers will attract new customers.

October 20, 2011 - The Wall Street Journal - Technology

New Technologies Increase Citizen Investment In Cities

A recent Pew Research study revealed that 58% of 25-34 year old Americans own smartphones, and communicate with each other, and their city governments in new ways.

October 14, 2011 - American City and Country

New Cycling Initiatives in Ukraine

The city of Lviv in western Ukraine has begun a 9-year initiative to build 168 miles of bicycling infrastructure to the region.

October 13, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

The City of the Future (Will Require the Necessary Infrastructure), Today

While some may be disappointed by how cities aren't yet swarming with robots and automated cars, Frank Swain writes that it's a matter of when we humans can tailor our landscapes to enable the new technology.

October 13, 2011 - Slate

Eleven of the Best Urban Design Ideas in the World

From a penthouse dwelling above an air-raid bunker to an "inside-out" building where plants grow on the walls through rainwater irrigation, Wendy Goodman and Justin Davidson have asked design experts to compile their favorite urban ideas.

October 12, 2011 - New York Magazine

More Hybrid Cars Available, But Fewer People are Buying Them

2009 may have been the peak year for hybrid vehicle sales as a percentage of total sales, despite the addition of 23 models available to consumers, reports CNNMoney. The current price of fuel does not justify the premium price paid for these models.

October 11, 2011 - CNNMoney

Steve Jobs' Legacy and the Return of Civic Beauty

Planners, architects, and developers made America ugly in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, opines Ross Douthat. In this piece, he questions whether or not the aesthetic revival led by Steve Jobs could be applied to our buildings and spaces.

October 9, 2011 - The New York Times

"Presence Sensors" Save Bicyclists By Controlling Traffic Lights

A new system using "microwave motion" sensors can detect when a bicyclist enters an intersection and control traffic to accommodate them.

October 8, 2011 - Governing Magazine

Will Extreme Engineering Save The Planet From Climate Change?

More precisely, will "geoengineering" or "climate remediation" be able to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere? A new panel of climate experts will investigate.

October 6, 2011 - The New York Times - Environment

A Solar Oil Field?

In a rather remarkable application of new, carbon-free renewable power to obtain additional oil from old wells, solar thermal technology involving mirrors placed above an oil field in Coalinga, CA will create steam to inject into the wells.

October 4, 2011 - Reuters via Los Angeles Times - Business

When Funicular Isn't Just A Funny Word

Jarrett Walker rides on the Wellington Cable Car, giving him the opportunity to explain the four conditions for when a funicular is a sensible transit solution.

October 3, 2011 - Human Transit

A City as Good as Its Buildings

If cities are like ailing bodies, then building modernization is the key to their future health. It's time planners looked at buildings as ecological and economical assets, according to Gordon Gill.

September 29, 2011 - Huffington Post

Oil Bonanza In Western Hemisphere

New technology is allowing massive investment in oil drilling in North and South America, from Canada to Argentina. This article centers on the investment in the region's two largest economies, U.S. and Brazil, and its effect on energy geopolitics.

September 27, 2011 - The New York Times - Americas

"The Golden Age of Motoring is Over"

According to this article in The Guardian U.K., fewer and fewer young adults age 17-20 are seeking a driver's license and car ownership, signalling "peak car".

September 26, 2011 - The Guardian U.K.

How the U.N. Uses GIS to Manage Humantarian Responses

Two planners with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveal how they use GIS to coordinate their efforts, using the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan as an example.

September 24, 2011 - Directions Magazine

Getting Around Underground Could be Easier

Part of this week's Urban Design Week in New York City, design duo Original Champions of Design present three solutions to a weak wayfinding system currently in place in the city's subways.

September 23, 2011 - Fast Company

Building the Crowdsourced City

Peter Sigrist takes us through three other tools for open sourced, democratic governance processes conducive to mobilization, collaboration, and funding--each integral for the crowdsourced city.

September 23, 2011 - POLIS

NYC Subway Gets Touchscreen That Tells You Where Delays Are

Cisco has sponsored a number of "Travel Stations" to be tested in a handful of subway stops. Dan Nosowitz went down to Bowling Green to try one out.

September 21, 2011 - Popular Science

London's Buses Hauls Twice as Many Riders Than The Tube

Surprisingly, London's bus network carries 6 million passengers to the Underground's 3 million. Facing serious cutbacks and fuel costs, Transport for London is working to reinvent the bus system.

September 21, 2011 - Next American City

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.