Environment
The Drawback to ‘Cool Pavement’
New research suggests that cooling pavement treatments can actually make pedestrians standing on it feel hotter.
FEMA Resilience Designation Targets At-Risk Areas
Federally identified ‘disaster resilience zones’ could receive more funding and resources to urgently address climate resilience and prepare their neighborhoods for future extreme weather.
‘Agrihood:’ An Urban Farm With Affordable Housing
California’s largest urban farm also provides 165 units of affordable housing for seniors and veterans.
EPA Awards $4 Million for Baltimore Composting Facility
The city wants to build the nation’s largest composting facility as part of its ‘zero waste’ efforts.
California Air Regulators to Crack Down on Warehouses
Truck traffic to and from Southern California warehouses accounts for as much pollution as refineries, power plants, and other industrial polluters combined.
FEMA Climate Resilience Loans Target Small Communities
A new loan program reduces the bureaucratic hurdles to implementing small-scale climate adaptation projects.
Blockchains Inc Wanted a Massive ‘Smart City’ in Nevada but Couldn’t Muster the Water Rights
California Forever isn’t the only tech-investor-driven mega-project to make news in recent weeks. Blockchains Inc had designs on remaking a massive swath of land near Reno until water got in the way.
The Resiliency of Urban Wildlife
A wide-ranging research study highlights the various qualities that make animal species living in urban environments thrive—and how biodiversity improves the health of our cities.
Philly Waterfront Park Breaks Ground
Penn’s Landing is an ambitious redesign of 11.5 waterfront acres.
NYC Planning Commission Approves ‘City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality’
The first of three elements of the City of Yes rezoning proposal aims to remove barriers to building green infrastructure.
Extreme Heat is Killing Us
Heat-related deaths are rising, and higher temperatures are just one reason.
Drinking Water More Precious Than Grass in California
Ornamental grass—the kinds of grass that line medians and roadsides but never serves for recreation—is a vanishing amenity in a drought-stricken West.
Calls Grow for ‘One-Dam Solution’ on Colorado River
California growers and others in the river’s Lower Basin want the federal government to consider draining Lake Powell to conserve more water downstream.
Mixed-Use Zoning in Waterfront Plan Attracts Controversy in Connecticut
Norwalk, Connecticut is figuring out how to balance the competing interests of development demand, public access, environmental risks, and historic preservation.
New California Law Alters CEQA in Favor of Student Housing
Following a heated legal battle over new student housing in Berkeley, Governor Newsom signed a new law removing ‘social noise’ as an environmental impact.
Downtown Los Angeles Park Wins National Award
Vista Hermosa Natural Park, designed by the landscape architecture firm Studio-MLA, has won the ASLA 2023 Landmark Award. Completed in 2008, Vista Hermosa was the first public park built in downtown L.A. in over 100 years.
How to Avoid Green Gentrification
New parks are great—but some projects displace the very people the green spaces are meant to serve.
Celebrating and Protecting Biodiversity
Park and recreation agencies have an important role to play in safeguarding biodiversity. Learn more about how they contribute to the preservation of diverse ecosystems.
A Hurricane in Death Valley
The heavy rain brought by a rare West Coast hurricane could have long-lasting impacts on this iconic American landscape.
Community Engagement at L.A. County Parks
The L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting over 60 public meetings in September to connect with the public and gather input to inform decision-making and resource allocation.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.
