New York City is considering a plan to create beds of oysters in one of the city's waterways to help filter water.
"Natural oyster beds once stretched for 350 square miles in New York's waterways. Over time, overharvesting and pollution took their toll. Sewage first forced the bay's shellfish beds to close in the mid-19th century, with all harvests outlawed in the 1920s."
"There probably has not been an oyster in Jamaica Bay since the 1930s, Mr. McLaughlin said. 'There may be a single individual or a few that seagulls dropped,' he said. 'But there's no population of any significance.'"
"The new project, outlined in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 sustainability policy, is meant to change that."
"Scientists in the last several decades have developed a better understanding of the ability of oysters to filter water. As an adult oyster feeds, it can filter 5 to 50 gallons of water a day, depending on its size and the temperature of the water."
"During this process, it absorbs nitrogen, algae and bacteria, depositing them in the sediment at the water's bottom. The oyster beds also serve as the foundation for an ecosystem that can support other marine species, like eelgrass, which in turn absorb other waste materials and provide habitats for fish."
FULL STORY: In City Waters, Beds (and a Job) for Oysters

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

How Trump's HUD Budget Proposal Would Harm Homelessness Response
Experts say the change to the HUD budget would make it more difficult to identify people who are homeless and connect them with services, and to prevent homelessness.

The Vast Potential of the Right-of-Way
One writer argues that the space between two building faces is the most important element of the built environment.

Florida Seniors Face Rising Homelessness Risk
High housing costs are pushing more seniors, many of them on a fixed income, into homelessness.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont