“Urban sprawl literally defines the modern city,” Dickson Despommier of What Matters writes. Truthfully, even here in Europe, most cities are sprawling out to accommodate the car. Despommier continues on: “We can all understand that this kind of growth is the…
More Trees in Neighborhood = Healthier Babies
You’ve heard all the obvious benefits of urban trees — shading buildings, sheltering wildlife, filtering air pollution, stopping erosion. A new Portland study suggests a more surprising benefit: healthier newborns. Researchers used satellite images to compare tree cover around the…
Oprah Going Vegan for 1 Week (+ 378 Staff Members)
Oprah and 378 of her staffers decide to go vegan for one week. How will it go?..
Most Promising High-Speed Rail Routes in U.S.
What are the most promising high-speed rail routes in the nation? A new report released by America 2050 evaluated 7,870 potential high-speed rail corridors across the country Here’s more on the report from the INFRASTRUCTURIST: To evaluate each corridor, the…
Dutch Improving Cycle Networks, Building Fast Cycle Lanes
The Dutch are already well-known for having the best bicycle facilities in the world (well, there is a bit of competition between the Netherlands and Denmark, but the two nations are clearly on top of the world when it comes…
Happy Meal Marketing is Actually a Crime
We covered the San Francisco Happy Meal toy ban from beginning to end and then some, delving into a couple of different angles and topics. But one thing we didn’t spend a lot of time looking at was the strictly legal precedence for the ban, the legal details. Well, we aren’t lawyers, so it’s not a big surprise, but I recently read a cool, interesting, easy-to-read post on this topic (written by a lawyer) and thought it not only warranted but required a quick share.
Greening the Sahara Desert
If you haven’t heard there are plans to “green” the Sahara Desert or build a Great Green Wall of Trees, maybe now’s the time to catch up on the discussion. News is that the project is moving forward. Here’s more…
5 Good Plant Species for Green Roofs in Colorado
Thinking of creating a green roof (aka living roof)? Wondering what plant species to grow on top? Live in Colorado or near it? Researchers from the Colorado State University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture have your thoughts in mind.…
First Subway System Started How Many Years Ago?
Know when the first subway system was launched? And where? Tony Long of Wired does. He recently wrote an interesting post on the history of subway systems around the world, starting with a little bit on the first subway system,…
Transit: Huge Issue for Chicago Voters, Not on Potential Mayors’ Agenda
Chicagoans (yes, that would be residents of Chicago) love public transit. Even non-users support mass transit (maybe because it saves them a ton of time). But candidates running for Mayor of Chicago (election to be on Feb. 22) are hardly…