Environment

Los Angeles Smog

More National Attention Focused on Controversial California Housing Bill

Conor Dougherty, a Bay Area-based New York Times economics reporter, and Brad Plumer, a Times climate reporter, team-up to tackle the controversy surrounding SB 827 that has hit a raw nerve with groups that purport to support the bill's goals.

March 20, 2018 - The New York Times

Flood Damaged Suburb

FEMA Strikes the Words 'Climate Change' From its Strategic Plan

Coming off a year of historically catastrophic extreme weather, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has decided to avoid using the "double C word."

March 20, 2018 - Vox

Kid on Train

The Moral Foundations of Public Support For Environmentalism and Public Transit

Why do green transportation policies attract less intense support than environmentalist policies related to waste and litter?

March 19, 2018 - Michael Lewyn

EPA Loses Court Ruling After Failing to Identify Smog Nonattainment Regions

As a result of a federal court ruling on March 12, the Environmental Protection Administration will be compelled to do what it should have done by October 1: Identify regions of the country where the air quality violates smog standards.

March 18, 2018 - CALmatters

WIldlife

Why Did the Mountain Lion Cross the Road?

It doesn't matter why—but how is pretty important.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Shasta Lake

Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?

Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Clermont County, Ohio

Celebrating the 'Greenspace Gems' in the Cincinnati Region

An advocacy organization in the Tri-State area (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana) is raising awareness about the region's 116,000 acres of preserved greenspace.

March 17, 2018 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Fence

New Mexico Made Streams and Rivers Private Property

And now those property owners are putting barbed wire over the river to keep out "trespassers."

March 17, 2018 - The Guardian

Congress Asks that USGS Nominee 'Protect the Scientists'

After recent resignations, there's a new part of the job description: "maintain a sort of firewall between their scientific work and any political agendas."

March 16, 2018 - Pacific Standard

San Diego County, California

Can Water Supply Keep Up with the Need to Build More Housing?

Population growth creates a collision course in the American West.

March 16, 2018 - Voice of San Diego

Carpool Lane Sticker

April 1 Showdown Between U.S. EPA and California Looms

At stake are greenhouse gas emission standards for 2022-25 model year passenger vehicles. Relaxing these standards would likely doom efforts to reduce these emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 as required by 2016 state legislation.

March 15, 2018 - Bloomberg News via Los Angeles Times

Issaquah Alps

A Shuttle Ride to the Trailhead

A pilot program by King County Metro and the King County Parks Department in the state of Washington found success in 2017, and is spending the beginning of 2018 looking at options to expand.

March 15, 2018 - Washington Trail Association

Wood Construction

Is Mass Timber the Solution to California's Housing Crisis?

One writer argues that cost, versatility and visual appeal makes this new building material exactly what the state will need if planned regulatory changes go through.

March 14, 2018 - The Architect's Newspaper

How to Fight 'Coastal Squeeze' By Engineering Nature

A Rutgers professor restores natural processes to help shorelines adapt to rising sea levels.

March 13, 2018 - The Harvard Gazette

Wasatch Mountains

This Is What Really, Really Cheap Water Is Actually Costing Utah

The state's widespread practice of supplying unlimited untreated water to homes may be part of the reason it has to spend billions on a new pipeline and dam.

March 13, 2018 - Water Deeply

China Sprawl Map

Five Key Takeaways from the 2018 World Urban Forum

Insight into the hard work of implementing the New Urban Agenda.

March 11, 2018 - Michael Mehaffy

Erskine Fire

In California, Policies Spur Rebuilding in the Wildland-Urban Interface

After the worst wildfire season ever, changes to local land use and state insurance rules essentially ensure that the same thing will happen again.

March 9, 2018 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Big Flat, California

Songs About Places: Water, Rain, and Rivers

A playlist for those who seek inspiration from water—whether it's falling from the sky or running downhill.

March 7, 2018 - James Brasuell

Oil Pump in Los Angeles

Study: L.A. County's Urban Oil Wells Are Too Close to Homes and Schools

The Department of Public Health recommends taking action to better protect residents from oil operations that are sometimes only a few feet from where people live, work, eat, play and study.

March 7, 2018 - KPCC

Ballot Initiative Launched After Gov. Jay Inslee Withdraws Carbon Tax Bill

Environmental, labor, and community groups in Washington State filed an initiative for placement of a carbon fee on the November ballot. Unlike a similar measure in 2016, revenues would be used to mitigate emissions.

March 6, 2018 - knkx

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.