Environment

New Book Shows How Geographic Technology Tackles Global Challenges
In his new book, Jack Dangermond explores the transformative impact of GIS technology in solving global challenges through spatial data, highlighting its widespread application across sectors and its potential to design sustainable futures.

Massachusetts Has the Nation’s Only Successful Food Waste Ban
The state has reduced its methane emissions by 25.7 percent per ton of waste following a law that seeks to eliminate food waste from landfills.

Planning for Future Floods
New climate and flood models are needed to understand growing flood risks.

Opinion: LA Should Reject ‘Misguided’ Car-Centric Policies
Even as the city highlights clean energy and transportation for the 2028 Olympics, Metro and Caltrans move forward with plans to expand highways.

Study: Lakes Near Communities of Color Less Inspected for Water Quality
The research is the first of its kind to analyze the relationship between freshwater monitoring and the race and ethnicity of nearby communities.

Commentary: Ensuring a Sustainable Future for Hurricane-Vulnerable Rural Communities Is Imperative
As we brace for the second half of the 2024 hurricane season, we need to take serious action to help rural communities recover and build greater resilience against hurricanes.

Houston Transit Agencies Offer ‘Free Fare Fridays’ for Ozone Action Month
Harris County is one of several Texas counties that failed EPA standards for clean air in recent years.

Envisioning a New Park in East Los Angeles
Los Angeles County is working towards transforming underutilized land into a vibrant pocket park in the City Terrace neighborhood of East LA.

Rising Heat Threatens Growing California Cities
Many rapidly growing inland California cities are facing increased extreme heat days due to climate change, putting more residents at risk of health issues and overwhelming local infrastructure.

Symposium Highlights the Crucial Role of Trees in Combatting Extreme Heat
Experts emphasize that planting and maintaining trees in urban areas is essential for reducing extreme heat, cooling cities, and preventing heat-related illnesses, especially as heatwaves become more frequent and severe.

Study: Outdated Stormwater Infrastructure Exacerbates Flooding
Infrastructure built to mitigate flooding a century ago no longer serves current needs.

Tacoma Program Offers Free Street Trees
The Green Blocks program targets neighborhoods with the highest need for additional tree canopy.

Court Bars EPA Probes in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’
A federal court ruling effectively prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from pursuing civil rights claims in one of the nation’s most polluted regions.

Southern California Utilities Cut Power, Gas to Hundreds of Households on Shifting Coastal Land
Slow but significant land movement is damaging infrastructure, prompting power shutoffs and calls for evacuation in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Last Dam in Klamath River Removal Project Comes Down
Salmon can now move freely along the river and its tributaries for the first time in over a century.

FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant to Fund Marsh Restoration
The grant to fund a marsh restoration project in coastal Louisiana is the first of its kind under FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance program, which is typically used to elevate, acquire, or relocate homes or floodproof businesses.

‘Ground-Breaking’ Settlement Reached in Detroit Environmental Justice Case
Civil rights activists celebrate a legal settlement that will require the state of Michigan to prevent hazardous waste and other industrial facilities from disproportionately polluting lower income and predominantly Black and brown communities.

BLM Proposes Opening 31 Million Acres of Public Lands to Solar Development
The Biden administration has released a proposal that would open tens of millions of acres in 11 Western states to solar development, a move that has clean energy advocates celebrating and environmental groups concerned.

Protecting Indoor Workers from Extreme Heat
California has introduced new standards to protect indoor workers from extreme heat, requiring cool-down areas and cold water in workplaces like car washes and warehouses.

California Secures $150 Million for Expanding Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
The Golden State has received almost $150 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to build over 9,200 EV charging ports, bolstering the state’s efforts to expand zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service