Environment

Desalination

Desalination Projects Get a Big Boost in California

Desalination is often suggested as a potential panacea for California's ongoing struggles with drought. The catch in the announcement of $34.4 million in state funding for desalination projects shows why desalination is not there yet.

January 30, 2018 - The Mercury News

Electric Car Charging Station

Gov. Jerry Brown Calls for Five Million ZEVs on California Roads by 2030

The executive order calls for $2.5 billion for rebates and electric charging and hydrogen fueling stations, subject to approval by legislature. His earlier executive order called for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2025.

January 29, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Jerry Brown's 16th and Final State of the State

Infrastructure, climate change, and natural disasters were among the themes of the California governor's final address to the legislature and public. Two of his accomplishments, high-speed rail and increasing the gas tax, face uncertain futures.

January 28, 2018 - The New York Times

Oil and Gas Extraction

Will Anybody Drill for Oil in the Pacific Northwest, Now That They Can?

Now that the Trump Administration has reopened the U.S. coastlines to oil and gas extraction, it's unclear whether anyone will take up the opportunity in the Pacific Northwest.

January 28, 2018 - EarthFix

California Central Valley

A Planning and Economic Development Quandary in Fresno

Should cities with some of the worst air pollution in the country be adding massive campuses for logistics and heavy industries?

January 27, 2018 - KVPR

Nuclear Power

South Carolinians Still on the Hook for Failed Nuclear Plants

“It has to be one of the greatest wastes of money in any state’s history,” Alan Greenblatt writes.

January 27, 2018 - Governing

Electric Car Charging

Energy Transformation Predicted in 12 Years

By 2030, the world's consumption of oil will drop due to increasing electric vehicle sales, according to a report by Bank of America. Other researchers disagree on the timeframe. The report is useful for highlighting the term, "peak oil demand."

January 26, 2018 - Bloomberg News

Flooding

Study Finds Big Pay Off for Resilient Buildings Investments

The economic case for investments in resilience just got a lot stronger.

January 23, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Oil Drills

Meet the Online Platform for Selling Off Public Lands

EnergyNet auctions off oil and gas leases for state and federal lands—and business is booming under the Trump Administration.

January 22, 2018 - Outside Online

Electric Cars

'Electric Charge Network' to Install 7,500 New Charging Stations in California

One of California's three investor-owned utilities has announced an electric vehicle charging infrastructure program that will spend $130 million through 2020.

January 21, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Yellowstone National Park

Mass Resignations From National Park Service Advisory Board

Nine out of 12 members of the National Park Service advisory board resigned this week, saying that the Department of the Interior "showed no interest in learning about or continuing to use the forward-thinking agenda of science," among other claims.

January 20, 2018 - National Public Radio

Red Light Camera

Legislation to Ban Traffic Cameras Creates Odd Political Alliances

Republicans and the American Civil Liberties Union back bills to ban red light and speed cameras in Iowa, while Democrats and law enforcement want to allow cities and counties to retain automated traffic-enforcement tools.

January 20, 2018 - Sioux City Journal

A private club located in Florida

Why Zinke Gave Florida a Break on Drilling

After announcing the coast of almost all states would be open for oil and gas production, the Secretary of the Interior changed his mind on one after meeting with Trump’s favored candidate for Senate.

January 19, 2018 - The New Yorker

Solar Powered City

Residents Move Into America's First Solar Powered Town

Residents will live in solar powered homes and ride around the community in self-driving, solar-powered shuttles. Babcock Ranch outside of Fort Myers, Florida, has been in the making since 2005. A city of 50,000 is forecasted.

January 18, 2018 - CBS This Morning

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Pittsburgh Hoping to Improve its Winter Storm Recovery Efforts

The city of Pittsburgh is responding to complaints by residents of poor road conditions after snow and ice coated the city's rad this week.

January 18, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bighorn Sheep

The 'Wide-Ranging Ecological Downside' of Road Salt

A study from the USGS using five decades of data shows salinity and alkalinity are up in waterways across the United States.

January 17, 2018 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Skyline and Beach

Largest Desalinated Water Reserve Ever Unveiled in Abu Dhabi

The UAE has created a storage facility under the desert that can provide up to 100 million liters per day in the event of an emergency.

January 17, 2018 - Quartz

South Korea

'No Driving Day' in Seoul Means Free Transit Rides

South Korea has made public transit a key part of its approach to cleaning the air.

January 15, 2018 - The Korea Times

The Embarcadero

Trial Over San Francisco Waterfront Development Height Limits Begins

The State Lands Commission filed suit shortly after San Francisco voters approved Prop. B in June 2014, requiring waterfront developments exceeding height limits to obtain voter approval rather than go through the Planning Commission process.

January 15, 2018 - San Francisco Examiner

High Bridge

The Real Benefits of Congestion Pricing

Like so many other transportation policies, congestion pricing risks being sold for the wrong reasons.

January 15, 2018 - StreetsBlog NYC

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.