Urban nature is discussed and explored in this set of course material offered online as part of the MIT OpenCourseWare initiative. The course was originally taught by Professor Anne Whiston Spirn in fall 2012 and, as the site notes, explores “the mutual influences of ideas of nature, theories of city design and planning.” On the site visitors can read over the syllabus to check out the list of...

For those with an interest in urban affairs, city planning, and related policy matters, this venture from The New Republic and the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program will be a most welcome discovery. The Avenue is set up primarily as a blog that brings together current news stories, policy reports, and other forms of analysis from across a very diverse set of sources. No urban...