Sustainable Cities Collective - The world's best thinkers on the urban future

Is the era of American McMansions over?

KaidBenfield — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:32 +0000

Principle and Power in Federal Transportation

DUrbanism — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:17:28 +0000

The Republican majority in the federal House of Representatives laid down the gauntlet last week in what is shaping up to be a dramatic fight over the future of transportation in the United States. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed their bill along partisan lines, while the House Ways and Means Committee ousted transit funding entirely from the Highway Trust Fund.

Interview with Robert Hammond, Co-Founder of the High Line

The Dirt — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:04:02 +0000

The Battle Over Agriculture

zrhirsch — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:55:17 +0000

With companies like Monsanto receiving huge subsidies, reaping giant profits while simultaneously damaging small farmers businesses, contributing to an unhealthy national diet and exacerbating environmental damage, how can we move away from their business models?

Is LEED Construction Less Safe Than Traditional Construction?

reiserlegal — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:01:55 +0000

Can building green actually endanger your construction crew? A new study purports that it does. Time for new hardhats?

Making Green Building Benchmarking Mainstream

USGBC — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:30:12 +0000

In January, USGBC launched its second advocacy campaign of 2012, Mainstream Benchmarking. Through this campaign we will advocate for policies tha

Kazakhstan opens new Metro, After 23 Years

futurecapetown — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:19:36 +0000

Has Detroit's narrative changed in twenty years?

jasonking — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:52:28 +0000

A clip that spawned a lot of conversation within our reading group, from 1990, Diane Sawyer reporting on ABCs Primetime Live, in a series called 'Detroit's Agony' - which looks at Mayor Coleman Young's legacy, and plays on Detroit as 'the first urban domino to fall...'. The report starts at minute three.

TreeEconomics –Who Says Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees?

equinox_environmental — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:19:21 +0000

Why adding trees to your urban environment is like putting money in the bank. Awesome!

What is the State of Your City?

Neighborhood Nomad — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:46:29 +0000

February 7, 2012, Washington, DC: My neighbors on Capitol Hill are well-versed in the state of the union. This is, after all, a city overflowing with smart people dedicated to national and international issues.

Linking Archaeology With The Modern Needs Of A City

This Big City — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:51:39 +0000

Futuristic Technologies, Backwards Cities

Tony Chavira — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:20:43 +0000

Why it's easy to be social online and difficult being social in our city spaces.

'The power of the post-industrial city'

KaidBenfield — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:25:06 +0000

Four Pioneering Examples of Sustainable Refurbishment from Around the World

This Big City — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:04:20 +0000

Least recognisable - The Hespeler Library, Cambridge, Canada

New cities rise all over Chengdu

ChinaUrbanDevelopmentBlog — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 01:18:08 +0000

The North American Urban Agriculture Experience

Sustainable Cities — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:17:19 +0000

In a country where, in some places, a burger barely costs a dollar while a bag of baby carrots is priced nearly thrice as much, there’s plenty of work to be done to make healthy foods affordable – and accessible. There is no denying that food insecurity (of which cheap and nutritionally inadequate junk food is a major manifestation) is a concern in the US. In fact, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) nearly 14.5 per cent Americans experienced food insecurity at some point in 2010.

Rice Ducks. Getting Creative in a Rural Economy.

Dan Taylor — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:07:12 +0000

I love innovations that are simple, few are simpler than this one!

Fix It First Transportation Policy

transportationist — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:00:55 +0000

Ken Orski writes:

What does the new economy mean for the shape of communities?

KaidBenfield — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:03:37 +0000

Eight Achievable Steps for Creating Cities fit for Cycling

This Big City — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:03:48 +0000

Something incredible happened last week in the UK. A Murdoch-owned newspaper embarked on a groundbreaking campaign with the potential to save lives and encourage the development of sustainable cities. You heard me right. Phone-hacking may have defined 2011 for News International, but cities safe for cycling could end up defining 2012.