For millions of city dwelling Americans a backyard is an unknown luxury, a balcony is a rare commodity and lounging in the great outdoors is almost exclusively a public activity. It’s no wonder that parks, particularly in urban centers, are seeing a renaissance in interest and investment.

Much has been made of the current recession experience as a time that rivals only the Great Depression. Already, we live in "The Great Recession." And after a stimulus in 2009 as an answer to the struggling economy, another stimulus is in the works.

In this week's news of, 'That sounds crazy... are you sure that's a good idea, Canada? What the hell, do it anyways,' CTV reports, "A 3-D image of a young girl chasing a ball into the street is the newest effort to prevent pedestrian accidents in West Vancouver."

You can “Take the ‘A’ train” in New York City, but in Denver, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C., Des Moines and a handful of other communities, you can hop on the ‘B’… for bicycle.

From the desk of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, or at least what Sam Schwartz & Co. think the father of the Interstate Highway System would say about transportation today.

In recent years a little noticed shift has been transforming suburbia: the home of the middle class has become the home of the working poor. As a result, roadways that were built for the car are now used by a growing population that can't afford to drive. The consequences can be deadly. Blueprint America on Need to Know from suburban Atlanta where getting to the other side of the road is nothing to take for granted.

Remember your old friend, The Bill? That lovable Schoolhouse Rocks' character? Well... He's gone missing. And the ransom: $6.5 billion... Or he gets it. Maybe that's a little extreme. But, the Sunlight Foundation, a non-profit government watchdog, reported this week that there was "$6.5 billion worth of unspent earmarks from the most recent transportation funding bill" passed in 2005. The group is calling the unspent money, "Disappearmarks."

Many commercial real estate loans across the country will mature soon, and community banks will feel the strain if property owners can’t pay. Georgia Tech Professor Ellen Dunham-Jones, author of Retrofitting Suburbia, explains the benefits of turning properties in the red, green.

Alison Stewart sits down with Elizabeth Warren, attorney, Harvard Law professor and chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, in a Blueprint America special report about the potential of a national commercial real estate foreclosure crisis.

An old factory town in Iowa eyes 'green' future, improved livability -- making good on the President's stimulus plan one year later.

The residents of Dubuque, Iowa, have signed onto a unique experiment to revitalize their city though a focus on sustainability. Local historian and museum director Jerry Enzler shares a little bit of the background -- where Dubuque came from -- and how and why this focus on sustainability is important for his city’s future.