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Squatter Communities as Model Intentional Communities. (video)
Robert Neuwirth, TED Talks
In this compelling talk, journalist Robert Neuwirth takes us on a tour of the world's squatter cities, where a billion people make their homes, after migrating from the countryside. Far from wringing his hands, Neuwirth exhalts these self-built cities as vital centers of ingenuity and innovation, where tomorrow's leaders will likely be born. Our challenge, he says, isn't to end poverty or control populations, but to engage and empower the residents in these "cities of tomorrow." A freelance journalist based in New York, Robert Neuwirth spent two years living in squatter cities on four continents to research his book, Shadow Cities: A billion squatters, a new urban world. In it, he describes life in the shanty towns outside Nairobi, Mumbai, Rio and Istanbul - where a billion people live now and three billion (a third of humanity) are expected to be living by 2050. (Recorded July 2005 in Oxford, UK. Duration: 14:49)
(2007 ?)

Ten Things Wrong With Sprawl
James McElfish
..1. Sprawl development contributes to a loss of support for public facilities and public amenities.
2. Sprawl undermines effective maintenance of existing infrastructure.
3. Sprawl increases societal costs for transportation.
4. Sprawl consumes more resources than other development patterns.
5. Sprawl separates urban poor people from jobs.
6. Sprawl imposes a tax on time. ..
(Mar 2007)
James McElfish is director of the Sustainable Use of Land Program at the Environmental Law Institute, (202)939-3800, www.eli.org

Bright Green Buildings And Dark Green Buildings
Big Gav, Peak Energy (Australia)
(2 April 2007)
Big Gav outdoes himself in this tour-de-force collection of recent articles on green building. Many eye-catching photos and extensive quotes. -BA

Reflective scientist sees a red roof and he wants to paint it white
Richard Macey, Sydney Morning Herald
SYDNEY'S red-tiled roofs should be painted white to help battle global warming. That is one idea of a thermodynamics expert who believes that besides cutting carbon dioxide emissions, we should also be cooling the world by reflecting solar energy.

Eric Hu, from Melbourne's Deakin University, said that while red house roofs absorbed heat from the sun, white ones would bounce energy back into space and "it will never come back".

He also proposed painting roads white, and building giant mirrors in the outback.

Writing in the International Journal of Global Energy Issues, Dr Hu proposed an energy trading program that would work alongside carbon trading. To earn energy credits, businesses would have to cool the world by "dumping" energy into space.
(31 March 2007)