Environment

Glen Canyon Dam

Signs of Life for the Colorado River With Seven-State Agreement

A final agreement is still a year away, but seven states have taken a substantial step toward sustainability for the Colorado River.

October 19, 2018 - Associated Press

Rooftop Solar

Arizona and Nevada to Vote on Renewable Energy Initiatives

Voters in two Western states next month will determine whether to require energy utilities to increase their share of electricity from renewable sources to 50 percent by 2030. In Arizona, the campaign has become the costliest in state history.

October 19, 2018 - The Arizona Republic

Boston Seaport

Boston Unveils New Shoreline Resilience Plan

With the news of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's report predicting dire consequences of climate change and seal level rise still fresh, the city of Boston has released a plan for how it will shore up its coastline.

October 19, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

Tacoma Washington

Tacoma Setting Land Use Barriers for Fossil Fuel

Even with a year-long halt on new projects, the city is grappling with plans for industrial land use.

October 18, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Electric Car Charging

Electric Vehicles See Progress at Local Level but Setbacks in Washington

The new IPCC report calls for decarbonization of transportation. While many cities are attempting to do their part, two recent federal developments in trade policy and tax legislation threaten to will make progress more difficult.

October 17, 2018 - CityLab

Lake Powell

Utah's Campaign to Deregulate Public Lands

Newly obtained documents reveal the extent of the state's efforts to strip protections from federal lands around the United States.

October 17, 2018 - Pacific Standard

Levee flooding New Orleans

To Prevent Flooding in New Orleans, Holding Water Rather Than Pumping It

The city plans to use a different approach to tackle its longstanding flood problems.

October 17, 2018 - NOLA.com

egislative Assembly of Ontario

The Cost of Ending Cap and Trade in Ontario: $3 Billion

The fallout from Ontario Premier Doug Ford's decision to pull the province from the Western Climate Initiative, a cap-and-trade program linked with Quebec and California.

October 16, 2018 - The Star

Lake Calhoun Park, Minneapoli

Cities Need Funding for Urban Parks; Federal Program Essential

A federal funding program for city parks means green space for communities but also brings many social and economic benefits.

October 16, 2018 - Governing

Potomac River

Where Virginia's Innovative Climate Fund Went Wrong

Virginia designed a promising way to bolster coastal areas vulnerable to sea-level rise. But it was never funded.

October 16, 2018 - Governing

Florida National Guard

Florida Panhandle Struggling to Recover from Hurricane Michael

Residents of Panama City and other Florida communities are calling for help, but it's unclear when help will arrive. The restoration of running water and electricity is the primary concern.

October 15, 2018 - BuzzFeed News

Pumping Gas

Trump Announcement Unites Big Oil and Environmentalists

President Trump announced at a campaign rally in Iowa that he would lift the ban on summertime sales of a 15 percent blend of ethanol, expected to increase smog levels. Both environmentalists and the oil industry oppose the action.

October 14, 2018 - PBS NewsHour

Florida - Hurricane Frances Approaching (2004)

After Michael: Updating Florida's Building Code to Better Weather Future Storms

Code requirements for wind resistance vary substantially across Florida, with less stringent building requirements in areas of the Panhandle hit hard by Hurricane Michael.

October 14, 2018 - The Miami Herald

Oil Drills

West Texas Drilling Boom Bodes Ill for Residents, the Planet

Driven by foreign demand, a surge in West Texas oil production is having adverse effects on the local populace, and contributes to climate change at a crucial moment.

October 13, 2018 - The Texas Tribune

Traffic

Op-Ed: Averting Climate Catastrophe Means Rethinking Our Transportation Habits

Given a recent dire report on climate change from the IPCC, Laura Bliss underscores the point that those who have the ability to do so should make changes to how they get around, and pronto.

October 11, 2018 - CityLab

Alberta Oil Sands

ExxonMobil's $1 Million Gift to Fight Climate Change Through Carbon Pricing

Two days after a Nobel prize was awarded to William Nordhaus for his work on carbon taxes to address climate change, the largest American oil and gas company announced a $1 million contribution to a group promoting a carbon fee and dividend plan.

October 11, 2018 - The Washington Post

Sockeye Salmon

Alaskans to Choose Between Salmon Habitat Protections and Resource Extraction

A contentious initiative on the Alaska ballot next month pits protecting salmon habitat protections against the interests of the oil and gas industry and mining companies.

October 10, 2018 - NPR

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

California Energy Efficiency Program Could Be Much More Effective for Low-Income Residents

According to an analysis by the Energy Efficiency for All coalition, California's Energy Savings Assistance Program could be four times as effective for low-income renters if it were better deployed.

October 9, 2018 - NRDC

Dry Lake in Arizona

Op-Ed: Implications for Phoenix as Lake Mead Runs Dry

Metro Phoenix has a lot to think about as Lake Mead water shortages become ever more likely. A three-state drought contingency plan may only be a temporary fix for a problem that'll divide cities and stakeholders.

October 9, 2018 - azcentral.com

Phoenix Dust Storm

Carbon Taxes and Climate Change Are Focus of Nobel Prize for Economics

The Nobel Prize was issued the same day as a landmark report by the IPCC predicting dire consequences if emissions aren't reduced. That's what William D. Nordhaus of Yale University has devoted his career to addressing.

October 9, 2018 - The New York Times

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.