Carbon Emissions

BART Station

Research: Distance Matters More Than Multi-Modal Trips for Reducing Carbon Emissions

European researchers have published a new study in the journal Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment that might be a hard pill to swallow for some transit advocates.

September 9, 2019 - Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment

W-S_125_pipe_yard

Can Steel Go Green?

Making materials like cement, plastic, glass, and steel creates a lot of emissions. In an opinion piece, Bill Gates argues any climate plan needs to grapple with these hard-to-decarbonize industries.

September 4, 2019 - Gates Notes

Coal Ash Waste

Governor, Regulators Standing Up to Dirty Energy Interests in North Carolina

Can a Democratic governor in a state controlled by a Republic legislature achieve meaningful emissions reductions from the state's energy utilities? North Carolina Governor Gary Cooper is trying.

September 3, 2019 - Inside Climate News

Presidential Campaign

Message to Candidates: Don't Forget Car Dependence When Tackling Fossil Fuels

Car dependence will have to end for the most ambitious climate plans put forward by Democratic candidates for president to have the desired effect.

August 29, 2019 - Curbed

Youth Protest

The Climate Has Already Changed

A big feature explores the effects of climate change, which are already very much changing life in the United States.

August 13, 2019 - The Washington Post

Alaskan Way Viaduct

Congestion Pricing Gains Traction in Seattle

Congestion pricing is a popular subject of conversation in Seattle, even if the idea hasn't yet proven popular with voters. The city is looking for ways to lead on climate change by reducing emissions from transportation.

July 31, 2019 - Crosscut

Hamburg, Germany

German Greens Want Domestic Air Travel to Be Obsolete by 2035

Alliance 90/The Greens, a political party in Germany, wants the country's domestic travel to shift completely to rail. Achieving that goal will require making air travel more expensive and rail travel cheaper and easier.

July 29, 2019 - Euractiv

Louisville Bridge

Office of Sustainability Nixed in Louisville

Budget cuts resulted in the demise of the Office of Sustainability in the city of Louisville.

July 27, 2019 - WFPL

Denver

Colorado's Greenhouse Gases are Going Down for the First Time in Its History

The state of Colorado is still a long way from reaching its 2050 commitment, but a move to more renewable energy has the state trending in the right direction.

July 15, 2019 - The Denver Post

Sequoia State Park

To Solve Climate Change: Plant a Trillion Trees

A new study suggests planting enough trees to cover a landmass the size of the United States.

July 8, 2019 - Associated press via WHYY

Colorado Multi-Modlaism

NACTO to Help Five Cities Design and Build Low-Carbon Transportation Infrastructure

Five cities will help the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) prove that urban streets can provide the location for a drastic shift in the carbon emissions status quo.

May 16, 2019 - National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)

Vancouver Waterfront

For Vancouver’s Carbon Footprint Reduction Plan, 2030 is the New 2040

Four months after formally recognizing climate change as an emergency, the Vancouver City Council considers six large-scale changes to dramatically reduce city-wide carbon emissions.

April 26, 2019 - Vancouver Sun

D.C. Metro Bus

An Energy Efficient Makeover for D.C.-Area Public Transit

D.C. Metro has a plan to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption by building to LEED green building standards and buying electric buses.

April 25, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Westwood, Los Angeles

Uber and Lyft Make 11,000 Trips a Week Without Leaving UCLA's Campus

Students at the University of California, Los Angeles are using ride-hailing companies to get between classes on campuses. The effect is far from the congestion and emissions reducing idea many hoped for from companies like Uber and Lyft.

February 4, 2019 - Daily Bruin

Capitol

Transportation Priorities of the New Democratic Leadership in the House

With Democrats rising to power in the U.S. House of Representatives and the government recently reopened (temporarily at least), it's time to plot the legislative ambitions of the coming session in Congress.

January 30, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Jiujiang power plant

U.S. Carbon Emissions Increased Last Year After a Three-Year Decline

The sobering news comes from the Rhodium Group, a research firm that tracks CO2 emissions. The preliminary estimate is the third in two months to show an increase in 2018, attributing it to an improved economy and Trump's regulation rollbacks.

January 10, 2019 - The Washington Post

London Bikes

London Has a Plan to Become the Best Big City for Cycling

A new five year Cycling Action Plan explains London's ambitions to become a leading city for cycling—in the name of the environment, traffic safety, and congestion relief.

December 19, 2018 - Forbes

Electric Bus

California Orders All Electric Buses by 2040

Converting all the public transit buses in California would save reduce carbon emissions in the state by 1 million metric tons by 2040.

December 18, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Climate CHange

Carbon Pricing Strategies Under Consideration in Seven States

Several states, and even the federal government, are considering adopting carbon pricing plans.

December 14, 2018 - InsideClimate News

Dar es Salaam

Compact Cities Are Environmentally and Economically More Sustainable

Sprawl leads to more emissions, but the economic costs are also high. Policies and strategies that ensure compact growth are essential.

December 3, 2018 - World Resources Institute

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.