Environment

Portland, Oregon Library

The 3 E's of Sustainability in Local Climate Action: The Portland Clean Energy Initiative

Urban sustainability efforts have historically failed to advance all three E’s of sustainability: environmental action, economic development, and equity. However, a movement is underway to put equity—the oft-ignored E—at the forefront.

September 24, 2018 - Megan Horst

Carpool Lane Sticker

220,000 EV Drivers in California to Lose Carpool Lane Perk in 2019

The good news: the Clean Air Vehicle program for electric vehicles will be extended for at least three years. The bad news: not all EVs that have a decal now will be able to be renewed. Congestion on HOV and HOT lanes is a major concern.

September 21, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Climate Change

The Next Environmental Stewards

The research is clear: For climate leadership, look no further than young people, people of color, and young people of color.

September 20, 2018 - The Hill

BMW Electric Vehicle

Gov. Jerry Brown Signs 16 Bills to Spur Sales of New and Used Electric Vehicles

On the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit, co-host Gov. Jerry Brown signed 16 bills onboard a new plug-in hybrid electric ferry in San Francisco Bay to spur sales of zero-emission vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

September 20, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Hurricane Florence Causes Coal Ash Spill at Former Coal Power Plant

The breach of the coal ash landfill by a former coal-burning power plant in Wilmington, North Carolina serves as a reminder that even after coal plants are shuttered, the by-products of the world's most polluting fossil fuel can still cause harm.

September 19, 2018 - Utility Dive

Pioneer Square, Seattle

Matching Urban Infill With Tree Infill

Seattle shows how new buildings and new trees can be added to a city simultaneously—in fact, neighborhoods adding new buildings are maintaining its urban tree canopy while static single-family neighborhoods are losing trees.

September 19, 2018 - Sightline Institute

Electric Car Charging Station

Phasing Out the Internal Combustion Engine No Easy Task

A report from the Global Climate Action Summit on a looming deadline set by the Paris climate agreement: ending sales of new gas and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.

September 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Proterra Electric Bus

How U.S. Cities Are Taking Climate Action

A new survey identified the top climate strategies favored by municipalities around the country.

September 17, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Metro Gold LIne

Los Angeles Aims for Zero-Emission Transportation

The region hopes to achieve widespread electrification of transportation ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

September 17, 2018 - Fast Company

South Carolina Resilience

Don't Blame Climate Change for Hurricane Florence

But you can blame climate change for 6 inches of storm surge resulting from sea level rise. Florence made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on Friday as a Category 1 storm with wind speeds of 90 mph.

September 17, 2018 - The Washington Post

The Grand Bayway

A Showcase of Innovative Climate Change and Resiliency Design Projects

A competition in the San Francisco Bay Area highlights projects considering new ways to design for impending environmental changes.

September 15, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Jerry Brown

California's Climate Leadership Put to the Test

A three-day global summit on climate action in San Francisco, hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown, is unlike other international climate summits in that it features "non-state actors," such as governors, mayors, and businesses, rather than nations.

September 15, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Solar and Wind Energy

Utilities Still Catching Up to Public Opinion on Renewable Energy

Renewable energy enjoys broad public support—the utility industry is more skeptical.

September 15, 2018 - Vox

Factory Emissions

New Tool Calculates the Carbon Footprint of Cities

Google's Environmental Insights Explorer multiplies the power of Google Maps for the benefit of the planet.

September 14, 2018 - Fast Company

Methane

Latest Obama-Era Regulations Targeted by the Trump Administration: Methane Rules

One Obama-era climate regulation still on the books deals with methane leakage from oil and gas wells. The greenhouse gas is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Another methane regulation targeted deals with flaring on federal lands.

September 13, 2018 - The New York Times

Natural Resources Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program

Proposed State-Level Wetlands Regulations in California: Protections and Complications

The state is seeking to protect wetlands from federal regulation rollbacks, but broader protections could also mean more costly and cumbersome processes.

September 13, 2018 - Water Deeply

Washington D.C.

'Sustainable DC' Plan Moving Forward

Washington, D.C. is seeking public comment on the "Sustainable DC 2.0" plan.

September 13, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Bike Commuting

Chicago and San José Achieve LEED for Cities Certification

The U.S. Green Building Council launched the LEED for Cities program in 2016.

September 12, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

drinking fountain

Drinking Water Lessons from West Texas

Several cities in West Texas have a long history in wastewater reclamation, even using the water for drinking, due to the Texas drought. El Paso aims to build the nation's largest advanced purification project for direct water reuse.

September 12, 2018 - Quartz

Cedar Rapids Floods

The New Politics of Local Funding for Flood Control Infrastructure

The city of Cedar Rapids has traditionally struggled to generate funding for flood control projects from local sources. As flooding increases and federal support decreases, the political calculus for flood control infrastructure has changed.

September 10, 2018 - The Gazette

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.