urban

5 cool urban design ideas that bring a touch of green to the drab city gray

Ranking of top green cities. Sadly, my home town of Washington, DC was #12

Abu Dhabi announces an initial investment of US$15 billion during the opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES), themost ambitious sustainability program launched by a government. It will finance projects targeting solar, wind and hydrogenpower, carbon reduction and management, sustainable development, education, manufacturing as well as research and development.

Welcoming wild visitors to your backyard

"Seattle legalized goats as pets last month largely under the banner of sustainability. The goats are required to be licensed just like a dog or cat and horns must be removed. Urban goat owners enjoy fresh milk and cheese daily. I can't wait to see a Prius with a goat in the back seat." This is awesome. Caveat: If anyone has had a goat, you know you do not want to put it in the back seat of your Prius.

Mapmyride.com will map any route, calculate distance and elevation changes, and provide you a printable map for safer cycling, running or "artful walking".

After 2010, Toronto cannot dump trash in Michigan anymore - A new deal calls for waste shipments to be reduced by 20 per cent by the end of 2007, by 40 per cent by the end of 2008 and then fully eliminated by the end of 2010. Earlier this year, the government streamlined the environmental approval processes to allow dumps to be built faster, and Toronto has evolved a hot new recycling program that may be the answer - a new waste disposal system will insure that the city has the funds it needs to build new 'cleaner' dumps, closer to home.

Article on urban ecovillages, specifically ones in Cleveland and Cincinnati.