Innovation

Public Transit of the Future?

The promise of a fully automated highway network has captivated the imaginations of futurists and aspirational engineers for several generations. In these visions there is a wide range of so-called “intelligent vehicle systems."[read more]

Nature in Cities

Why are streets with trees better received than those without? Why is dappled light through leaves more pleasant than sun beating against the pavement? What is our affiliation to rolling streams and bubbling brooks?[read more]

Efficient, but sustainable?

 

The 8.2 million inhabitants of Tehran have witnessed stunning growth in sustainable transport infrastructure. Over time and with great effort, it has transformed itself into an example of sustainable transport.[read more]

Water Purification Costs

An inexpensive new material made of clay and papaya seeds removes harmful metals from water and could lower the cost of providing clean water to millions of people in the developing world.[read more]

Increasing Biking in New Orleans

 

This past May 2013, New Orleans received a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists. Undoubtedly, the award was well deserved. New Orleans now has almost 2% of its population commuting by bike.[read more]

Mainstreaming Green Insfrastructure

Green infrastructure is now big time, given the head of water for the Environmental Protection Agency is now promoting its benefits.[read more]

Helsinki Green Lease

Green leasing news here in North America has been generally hard to come by thus far in 2013, but some interesting activity continues abroad. These foreign transactions involving environmental obligations are instructive for us to consider.[read more]

ideas for sustainable cities

A new ‘toolbox’ is put together annually by the Danish organisation Sustainia, aiming to differentiate itself from other sustainability awards by focusing exclusively on solutions that are available today.[read more]

Mississippi delta

Fewer people moving means fewer people participating in the global economy. They are tethered to places doomed to demographic decline. Long economic cycles no longer punish certain geographies. They punish certain classes.[read more]

Boulder, Colorado

Parking revenues are used as an economic development tool for downtown Boulder, paying for pedestrian and street improvements in the area and helping create a vibrant destination for visitors.[read more]

mapping rooftop energy

Kudos to the people at MIT who created this interactive map showing property owners in the city how much electricity can be generated from their rooftops.[read more]

urban organism?

We are quickly moving away from an isolationist approach to broadening our lens as much as possible. Urban planning as usual is a little slow to arrive to the party. However, our late arrival means we do not have to start from scratch.[read more]