Training & Education posts, articles, and infographics

Why Did We Stop Walking and How Do We Start Again?

May 14, 2012 by Erin Chantry
with 754 views

As you may know, the CNU20 conference was organized around tracks which allowed you to focus on your particular interest and how it related to New Urbanism. I spent most of my time on the “Mobility and Walkable City” since that is where my concentration lies. There is no doubt that the best breakout session of this track was “Why Did We... [read more]

Why Universalism Trumps Targeting in Social Policy

May 7, 2012 by polis blog
with 25 views

These women in Ocotito, Mexico, participated in Oportunidades, a government program that pays women to send children to school. Conditional cash transfers are an example of targeting in social policy. Source: World Bank / Adrian MealandIn the 1960s and 1970s, a universalistic approach to social policy – under which the entire population... [read more]

City as Laboratory for Alternative Urban Research and Practice

April 30, 2012 by This Big City
with 74 views

The current landscape of cities is that of contested processes, interdependencies and relations which are dominated to various degrees by diverse actors with contrasting voices and agendas. These complex relations emerge from historical and material dialectics of the territory, linking diverse activities with the environment in a time-... [read more]

Using a Day of Service to Green Your School

April 24, 2012 by Rachel Gutter
with 54 views

Last week, I was able to visit one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to make an exciting announcement, recognizing the Green School in Bali as the Center for Green School’s “2012 Greenest School on Earth.” The school has some incredible features, such as structures made from environmentally friendly bamboo, solar energy and... [read more]

Creating Healthier Classrooms Through Practical Solutions

April 17, 2012 by Rachel Gutter
with 50 views

It goes without saying, every parent wants their child to be healthy and safe. And teachers too, always have the best interest of our kids at heart. But sometimes what we don’t know can hurt us.My little sister is a teacher, and in one of her first positions, she was the aid in a kindergarten class. She called me one day to complain... [read more]

Video: Reducing Car Use to Encourage Sustainable Mobility

April 11, 2012 by This Big City
with 148 views

When we talk about sustainable mobility, we usually picture building and improving public transport, promoting bike use and walking and making cars more efficient. However, this is not enough. Car use has to be reduced in order to attain a truly sustainable mobility.It’s not about reducing car use for it’s own sake. The social... [read more]

From Ingenuity to Implementation: Urban Ideas in Action

April 10, 2012 by Henry Spethmann
with 452 views

Over 180,000 people move into cities every single day. This has enormous infrastructural implications, from accommodating new hospital patients and updating sewer infrastructure to increasing energy production to serve new residents. [read more]

Building an Inclusive Economy: Green Building Construction Supports Green Jobs for All

April 4, 2012 by Maggie Comstock
with 93 views

Buzz words and hot topics come and go, but “green jobs” are here to stay. In a recovering economy, jobs remain a top priority for our leaders and the Americans they represent. Green building jobs represent a bright light in the recovery process, because these are long-term, high-quality jobs for the future. As the economy rebounds, there... [read more]

Open Data: What are the benefits for cities?

March 12, 2012 by Rashiq Fataar
with 461 views

When you think of Open Data, you might imagine hackers secretly scratching around on computer systems, finding government data to release to the world. Certainly many advocates of open data are civic activists concerned about government accountability, but most gather data that is publicly available.They tend to focus on things like how... [read more]

Why do Green Schools Matter? Part 2

March 6, 2012 by Allison McKenzie
with 85 views

In my “Why do Green Schools Matter? Part 1″ post, I focused on anecdotal evidence of the difference a green school in London, Ohio is making. Stories of increased attendance, better staff retention and just an overall sense of improved well-being aren’t unique to London Middle School either- we have heard similar stories from nearly of... [read more]

Is Your School Harboring Mold?

February 28, 2012 by Allison McKenzie
with 100 views

It seems like mold in our schools is making the news on almost a weekly basis these days. This recent CNN Article, Are Schools Making Kids Sick?, is a prime example and tells the story of a third grader in Connecticut who missed over 50 days of school in one year likely due to poor indoor air quality in general and mold in particular. As... [read more]

How to Fix Healthcare: Get the Smartest People Together and Find Common Ground

February 24, 2012 by Adam Christensen
with 55 views

America’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has plenty of enemies, but the biggest problem with the law isn’t that parts of it, including the individual mandate, have become politically radioactive. The biggest problem is that while the law goes a long way to expand the population of people with health insurance, it doesn’t... [read more]