World
Global issues, U.N., etc.
James Bond, Architecture Critic?
The James Bond films have featured some of the most memorable built environments in all of cinema. Too bad Bond invariably blows them up.
Could Montreal Be Barcelona?
French starchitect Paul Andreu is creating a new iconic building for Montreal, but writer Joseph Baker posits that one splashy building does not a beautiful city make. Baker calls for a grand vision of city form on the scale of Barecelona's plan.
Spooky Friday: Top 10 Scary Places
The Bermuda Triangle tops this list of spooky places, but the compendium also includes the Pirate House of Savannah and Colorado's Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for The Shining.
Building the 'Electranet'
Al Gore did in fact invent the 'electranet', or at least he coined the term to explain the necessity of a new smart grid to transmit electricity from new, green sources like wind and solar. GOOD Magazine reports on the state of the electranet.
Cities With a Global Outlook: The Top 12
A team of management consulting and foreign policy professionals has released a report analyzing which cities of the world are most global in reach, looking at business activity, human capital, and information exchange. New York comes out on top.
Kazakhstan: The New Dubai?
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is reinventing itself as an increasingly wealthy and fast developing country through its architecture.
300% More Oxygen: The Guardian Examines Greenwashing
In a new weekly column, Fred Pearce of The Guardian examines corporate and municipal claims to sustainability.
'The Earth in Your Pocket'
That's how developers at Google describe the release of Google Earth for the iPhone. Boing Boing's Joel Johnson wonders why it wasn't released for Android first.
Income Gap in American Cities As Bad As African Cities
Income inequality in U.S. cities rivals that of many African cities, which struggle with deep divides between the haves and the have-nots, according to a recent report from the United Nations.
World's Underground Waters Mapped
UNESCO has released a detailed map of the world's aquifers, a move the organization hopes will enable more intelligent use of natural resources.
Three Oil Producing Nations Impacted By Oil Price Plunge
Plunging oil prices are hitting three oil-producing countries the hardest: Venezuela, Iran, and Russia. This article looks at each of them and evaluates how they will fare if oil prices do not rise, including their relationships to the U.S.
Social Inequity a 'Time Bomb' for U.S. Cities
The annual UN State of the World's Cities report contains a dire warning for American cities: racial divisions and social inequities are at alarming levels.
Neighborhood Mapping A Booming Business
Bernt Wahl is a pioneer of neighborhood mapping techniques. This profile in Wired profiles this growing industry, and Wahl's struggles with intellectual property. Who owns your neighborhood?
Climate Protection Jeopardized By Financial Crisis & Recession
The worldwide credit crisis will affect the ability of the developed world to tackle climate change. Businesses in Europe and U.S. are asking for delays in meeting emission reductions mandates notwithstanding the drop in oil prices.
Zip Line Your Way Across Town
Zip line tours- where you slide down a wire hanging from a lanyard- are growing in popularity in tourist spots like the canopies of rainforests. BLDBLOG proposes an urban application.
Golf Course Development Stuck in Sand Trap
The uber-wealthy are still buying homes on luxury golf course developments, but the rest of the market is hurting as courses close and projects stall around the world.
Economic Thinking is Job Number One
In the midst of this financial crisis, it is doubly important to understand the economic perspective on urban planning and real estate development, argues USC Professor Peter Gordon.
Closing Roads Sometimes Improves Traffic Flow
A new study finds that sometimes closing roads can improve traffic flow by forcing people to make alternative choices to the shortest route.
Taking City Revitalization Beyond Iconic Architecture
Many cities see new iconic buildings as a major element in recreating themselves into distinctive places. But if every city has distinctive buildings, the distinctiveness is diminished. This commentary argues for new revitalization ideas.
The Rise of the Amateur Mapmaker
The explosion of amateur mapmaking opened up by online services like Google Earth has expanded the reach of maps for a variety of uses. Professional mapmakers, on the other hand, foresee problems of quality and accuracy.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
