North America
Chemical emergency. Dam Failure. Earthquake. Fire. Flood. Hazardous Material emergency. Heat emergency. Hurricane. Landslide. Nuclear emergency. Terrorism. Thunderstorm. Tornado. Tsunami. Volcano. Wildfire. Winter Storm. A scary list, but it's too late for Halloween, so what is it?
Renewable energy has emerged as a serious issue among politicians at all levels in the United States. Peak oil is a different story, however. Federal, state and local leaders will continue to misunderstand the energy crisis we face if they ignore the new energy production constraints of the 21st century.
Colleges and universities can be powerful social actors, with their large populations, research facilities, and significant budgets. How are they acting with respect to climate and energy issues?
The "locavore" movement is big, especially in California. With the bounty of food found locally in the Bay Area, living off the land - and sea - is not only possible, but also a delicious exercise. But there's another, less obvious, revolution brewing here in the Bay Area: the "locavolt" movement.
In his work as a land planner in North Carolina, Aaron Newton works to create sustainable places. But it's not just his job: awareness of peak oil has led him to promote relocalization close to home, and led to coauthoring a new book that expands the definition of agricultural land.
As energy technologies evolve, their relationship to their surroundings also changes. Recently, attention has shifted to decentralized supplies and the effects of transportation, land use, and buildings on energy demand. It is time for planners to pay attention to the new spatial structure of energy systems. This article lays out some approaches planners could use to be more effective.
Why should planners care about the food system in their area? How can planners help shape a healthy food system? This guide sets forth a vision for an urban food system and describes the interlocking aspects of planning and the food system.
Cities like Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio are deciding that now is the time to install or reinstall streetcar systems - both because of their revitalizing effect on downtowns, and because fuel and project costs will continue to rise into the future.
After my presentation to the Anchorage (Alaska) Municipal Assembly last week, I chatted with a local businessman who gave me a piece of surprising news: local airline industry reps recently came out against an expansion at Anchorage International Airport.
After decades of migration to ever-further-out suburbs, high gas prices are spurring a rethink of homebuying priorities and policies that subsidize sprawl.



