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  • The Twilight of Zoning

    New Oregon law takes aim at smart-growth rules, excites developers Oregon’s recently passed Measure 37 is threatening to sprawlify the state, even as it acts as a model for property-firsters across the nation who want to ease development restrictions. The measure mandates that the government compensate private landowners if zoning or land-use restrictions reduce the […]

    Grist staff Cities

  • Umbra on trains vs. cars

    Dear Umbra, My girlfriend recently made a trip by train (about 600 kilometers, I’d guess), and it made me wonder just how much more ecological it is to travel by train instead of by car. What’s your take on this? MichaelOttawa, Ontario, Canada Dearest Canadian Michael, The train, it is better. The car, it is […]

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  • Exhausted

    Old diesel engines kill more than 20,000 Americans a year Particulate pollution generated by old diesel engines is killing more people per year than drunk driving, said a report released yesterday. Using data and methodologies from the U.S. EPA, the Clean Air Task Force and a coalition of public health groups found that more than […]

    Grist staff Cities

  • Umbra on renting hybrids and sharing cars

    Dear Umbra, Do you know of any car-rental companies that offer hybrids? I have heard of a bunch in environmentally friendly California, but my quick search in the Boston area has turned up nil. With high gas prices, I think I’m brewing up a new campaign! JeanDorchester, Mass. Dearest Jean, An environmentally focused rental group, […]

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  • Bill Walsh, founder of the Healthy Building Network, answers questions

    Bill Walsh. What work do you do? I’m the founder and national coordinator of the Healthy Building Network. How does it relate to the environment? The Healthy Building Network is the only organization dedicated to linking green building strategies to the specific goals of the environmental-health movement. Our goal is to shift market demand in […]

    Grist staff Cities

  • Karen Hundt, Chattanooga urban planner, answers questions

    Karen Hundt. What work do you do? I am the director of the Planning & Design Studio in Chattanooga, Tenn. We are a division of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency, but the design studio focuses on downtown and riverfront redevelopment. How does it relate to the environment? The biggest environmental issue facing this country […]

    Grist staff Cities

  • Emily Gertz sends dispatches from Verdopolis, a confab on future green cities

    Emily Gertz is a regular contributor to WorldChanging.com, and an internet content and strategy consultant for nonprofits. She has written on environmental policy for BushGreenwatch, and on the intersections of environment, culture, art, and activism for The Bear Deluxe and other independent alternative publications. Wednesday, 9 Feb 2005 NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. This morning, taking […]

    Grist staff Cities

  • Run Away, Train

    D.C. approves stricter regs on transporting toxic chemicals Worried about a possible catastrophic release of toxic chemicals that one study says could kill up to 100,000 people, Washington, D.C.’s 13-member city council has approved a measure limiting the transport of toxic chemicals within a 2.2-mile radius of the Capitol building. Shipments of explosives, flammable gases, […]

    Grist staff Cities

  • Good job them.

    Via Worldchanging, where they are quite enamored of Vancouver, I see the city's 21 Places for the 21st Century contest.

    Participants are encouraged to choose a favourite public place or site, and then propose a change or improvement to it. Changes can be abstract or concrete; permanent, temporary, or seasonal. Your chosen public space may be large or small, as may your change. Ideas for activities or programmes to be offered in a public place are also welcome. You're only limited by your imagination.
    Dreamy.

    What if every city in North America held a similar contest?

    David Roberts Cities

  • And to Sprawl a Good Night

    Urban sprawl imperils species, report says If you needed one more reason to hate urban sprawl, we’re happy to help: It’s imperiling species left and right. According to a report by the National Wildlife Federation, Smart Growth America, and NatureServe, the next 25 years will see more than 22,000 square miles* of habitat lost to […]

    Grist staff Cities