Category: Beyond Atlanta

Creating a City for the Stars

Pervasive light pollution prevents most Americans from seeing the night sky. As Carl Sagan and others have recognized, a clear view of the night sky can encourage curiosity, promote cooperation, and increase the respect we have for our planet. It’s time we open our cities to the universe.

Savannah Offers Yet Another Example of Why Good Urban Design is Important

Savannah Postcard

An abundance of asphalt and concrete increases air temperatures locally, which can exacerbate the effects of heat waves and generally cause unpleasant conditions. This is known as the urban heat island effect and it can be true for both sprawled suburbs and dense cities. Savannah’s beautiful green spaces offer a prime example of how the benefits of dense development can be achieved while mitigating or eliminating the urban heat island effect.

Weekly Links: The EPA Loves the NHL, Snow Leads to Better Urban Design, and Atlanta’s World-Class Traffic

Snow in Vine City

A weekly roundup of interesting stories from around the country. The National Hockey League is not just one of the biggest buyers of green energy among sports leagues, but among all US companies. Philadelphia created better designed streets simply by looking at where cars drive in the snow. And a stress-relieving simulation of traffic moving through various types of intersections.

Graphing Georgia’s Weather and Climate

While Atlanta is experiencing a wetter-than-average year, northern Georgia is experiencing severe to extreme drought conditions. This is just one example of how conditions in one part of the state may not be indicative of the larger local or regional climate. The new SustainAtlanta Weather+Climate page is dedicated to giving readers a better understanding of how the day-to-day weather fits into the overall regional climate picture.