Worldchanging reports that Seattle is leading the way in innovative US urban planning by proposing a modification to building codes to legislate for more green spaces in the city; think green roofs and rain gardens. It’s a fine idea – any city could be improved by having more plant life, and it’ll all be good for the environment. Over here in the UK, however, a local authority is using a rather different approach to environmental issues in urban areas by scanning neighbourhoods with thermal imaging cameras and publishing the resulting maps on the web in the hope of naming and shaming households with poor energy efficiency.