Environment

Making the Bay Area Resilient By Design
The Resilient By Design Bay Area Challenge has produced nine designs to address sea-level rise and flooding around the San Francisco Bay Area.

First: Oklahoma Can Regulate its Own Coal Ash
Oklahoma will now be able to regulate coal ash disposal without answering to federal regulators.

Doug Ford, Elected Ontario Premier, Promises End of Cap and Trade
The brother of former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford decisively won the election on June 7 to be the next premier of Ontario, ousting current Premier Kathleen Wynne. His first order of business: end the province's emissions trading program.

D.C. Updating its Sustainability Plan
The District of Columbia is updating its Sustainable DC plan, originally crafted in 2012, and seeking feedback on draft goals set for 2032.

The Happy Jail
Where do the street trees come from, and where does the compost go? Rikers Island was New York City's growing outpost for years. But does “greening” the jail always improve things for prisoners?
26-Year-Old Civil Rights Complaint Finally Ends
The legal controversy over the Genesee Power Plant in Flint, Michigan has finally ended, with a court forcing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to better investigate and resolve complaints of environmental discrimination.

New Law in Hawaii Makes Developers Consider Sea-Level Rise
Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill that requires developers to consider rising seas in all environmental impact studies.

Trump Rebuffed by Federal Energy Commissioners on Coal and Nuclear Power Bailout
Last month the Trump administration directed Energy Secretary Rick Perry to require grid operators to purchase power from aging coal and nuclear power plants, enabling them to keep operating as a matter of "national security." Regulators disagree.

Wanted: A Regional Planning Approach to Climate Change
The effects of climate change—rising seas, extreme weather—will require coordinated action around the New York region. Regional planning, in other words.

The Chesapeake Bay Comeback
Scientists say the Chesapeake Bay hasn't been this healthy in more than three decades. It's a testament to federal environmental regulations.
Grant Program Deploys Smart City Tech for a Variety of Purposes Around Georgia
A grant program under the direction of Georgia Tech, with support from Georgia Power and the Atlanta Regional Commission, among others, has awarded grants for the development of "smart community" technology.

Friday Eye Candy: The Comfort of Street Trees
It's getting hot out there. Plant all the trees.

2017 Set a Record for 'Sunny Day Flooding'
Expect more of the same in 2018 and 2019.

Looking Back to Find the Future of San Diego
An advocacy group is republishing the 1974 regional plan for sustainability, and finding that it's just as relevant now as it was then.

California and Auto Industry Agree on Vehicle Emissions Standards
Normally having the California Air Resources Board and the auto industry in agreement on emissions standards would be enough, but the Trump administration wants to ensure that California plays no role in setting standards.

Study: There's a Lot of Vacant Land in Texas Cities
All that empty acreage means that these big, rapidly developing cities don’t really have to sprawl.
In New Jersey, Beach Parking Located Right on the Sand
This summer, the seashore town of Wildwood is charging a fee for people with the right cars to park in a very convenient location.

Houston Has a $1.15 Billion Harvey Recovery Plan
Houston is taking steps to finalize and approve a plan to spend $1.15 billion in federal disaster relief funding after Hurricane Harvey.

There's More Renewable Energy Than Ever
But it's still not enough to produce a net reduction in emissions from energy production.

The Search for a New Green Building Standard
The need to slash emissions from buildings is increasingly urgent, and critics say LEED won't get us there.
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