Carbon Emissions

Prince George's County, Maryland

Assessing Prince George's County's Climate Action Plan

The Prince George's County draft Climate Action Plan includes ambitious goals and timetables, but falls short of recommended targets for emissions reductions in the transportation sector.

December 8, 2021 - Greater Greater Washington

CN Tower rises above Gardiner Expressway on Toronto Waterfront

Proposed Toronto Highways Raise Environmental Concerns

Opponents of two new planned highways in greater Toronto argue the construction of new roads is 'short-sighted at best' and would threaten the region's greenbelt areas.

November 14, 2021 - blogTO

Methane

Countries Underreport Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A Washington Post investigation found major discrepancies between actual emissions and the levels reported to the United Nations.

November 11, 2021 - The Washington Post

An image of the Raleigh skyline, with older residential buildings in the foreground and taller commercial buildings in the background.

Study: Low-Rise Density Is Better for the Climate

New research analyzing carbon emissions throughout the life cycle of buildings shows that high-rises create more carbon emissions than dense, low-rise developments.

November 9, 2021 - The Conversation

Miami Bus

To Fight Climate Change, Support Public Transit

Electric cars may garner a lot of attention these days, but significantly reducing carbon emissions and urban congestion means investing in high-quality mass transit.

November 5, 2021 - The Verge

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

Plan for Emissions-Free Zone Takes Shape in Seattle

The city of Seattle is working on a plan to create a zero-emissions zone to mitigate urban pollution and reduce carbon emissions in dense, congested parts of the city.

November 4, 2021 - The Urbanist

Factory Emissions

Supreme Court To Hear Challenge to EPA Powers

The Court's decision could limit the agency's authority to regulate carbon emissions in the power sector.

November 2, 2021 - Bloomberg

Protest

Report: How The U.S. Could Meet Its 2030 Climate Goals

If policymakers don't take clear, immediate action, emissions reductions will fall short of the 50-52 percent goal set in Paris.

October 29, 2021 - Rhodium Group

Image of electric cargo bike with UPS logo

Cargo Bike Pilot Reduces Emissions by 30%

The program deployed electric cargo bikes in a small Seattle neighborhood to test the effectiveness of replacing delivery trucks with lighter vehicles in the last mile of delivery.

October 27, 2021 - Fast Company

Delivery Trucks

How Street Configuration Impacts Equity

With urban pollution and traffic violence disproportionately affecting communities of color, better management of public space and streets could improve equity in cities.

October 25, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Dry Lake in Arizona

Report: Southwest Drought a 'Preview of Coming Attractions'

A NOAA-led task force warns that the drought facing the western U.S. will continue well into 2022 or later without serious efforts to mitigate human-caused global warming.

October 18, 2021 - Climate.gov

Germany

How Global Cities Are Working to Electrify Transit

With the transportation sector accounting for a third of urban carbon emissions, cities around the world are seeking new ways to electrify their transit fleets and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

October 18, 2021 - The New York Times

Dokken is a western part of the Port of Bergen (Norway). At Dokken is the large, white Port Warehouse, in which a small brown/black building (in the center of this image) is the WWII German anti-aircraft artillery bunker (RK-ID 212746).

Norwegian City Plans for Zero-Emissions Neighborhood

As it winds down port operations in the area, Bergen plans to transform its Dokken district from a busy shipping hub to a car-free, 'regenerative' zone.

October 8, 2021 - Fast Company

Boston Aerial

Big Boston Buildings Must Be Carbon Neutral by 2050

The Boston City Council approved a new ordinance would eliminate emissions from the 4 percent of the buildings responsible for 60 percent of the city's building emissions.

October 4, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Smokestack with billowing smoke

Largest Carbon Capture Plant in the World Opens in Iceland

The plant draws carbon from the atmosphere and turns it to stone in underground wells, but the technology remains relatively expensive.

September 22, 2021 - Quartz

Green Building

Sustainable Real Estate Investments Are No Longer Optional

Greenwashing won't cut it anymore, and investors are increasingly demanding that all real estate developments and existing assets be assessed in the most holistic way possible.

September 12, 2021 - Breana Wheeler

Wildfire

Carbon-Offset Forests Are Burning Up in Wildfires

Wildfires are consuming forests designated for carbon storage to fight climate change, highlighting the fragility of these carbon offset schemes.

August 26, 2021 - The New York Times

Highway Construction

How the Environmental Review Process Privileges Highway Construction Over Transit

U.S. transit projects have a much harder time getting environmental approval than road projects, perpetuating the dominance of cars in U.S. transportation policy.

August 25, 2021 - Slate

Road Construction

Proposed Colorado Rule Calls for Mitigating Climate Effects of Road Projects

State and local agencies would be tasked with evaluating and offsetting the carbon emissions caused by new transportation projects.

August 20, 2021 - Colorado Public Radio

Natural Resources Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program

How to Fight Climate Change and Increase Resiliency, Naturally

Five actions governments could take quickly to reduce emissions and restore ecosystems.

August 16, 2021 - NRDC

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.