An unusually large and hot fire has struck Alberta, Canada at an unusually early time of year. According to researchers, this is the new normal.
Melody Rowell reports the news that shocks with the scale of its destruction: "An enormous wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, has displaced more than 80,000 people and destroyed an estimated 2,400 buildings, the majority of them homes."
While linking to many other examples of news coverage of the fire, the article for National Geographic is devoted to a series of photographs by Ian C. Bates.
Another recent article from the Associated Press puts the scale of the fire, which began on May 1, in historical context. According to that article, the fire in Alberta is just the latest example of larger and more extreme wildfires burning as a result climate change. The Associated Press also surveys the opinions and findings of researchers working on the subject.
Read the full story: On the Ravaged Trail of Canada’s Monster Fire
New Yorkers Face New Climate Risks
A two-acre fire in a city park prompted city officials to ban grilling while urging residents to conserve water to limit the impact of a historic drought.
Wildfires Explode Across the West
Multiple massive fires are burning across the Western United States and Canada, prompting governments to explore new mitigation and response strategies.
How the West Got Bigger, Badder Fires
Two new books chronicle the origin of U.S. policy on wildfire, the damage that policy has done, and why it’s unlikely to change any time soon.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
‘Going backwards:’ Baltimore mayor, students rally against state's transit funding plan
Maryland's proposed six-year plan provides no funding for Baltimore’s BMORE bus program and reduces its road maintenance funding.
Detroit to transform waterfront with $2.2 billion investment
Developers will convert about 18 acres of unused parking lot space into civic spaces.
MIT to create AI-powered hub for public transportation companies
Google awarded the project, titled the Public Transit Intelligence Hub, $2.1 million in funding.
A 3D concrete printer may solve Virginia’s housing crisis
The printer is able to build concrete walls much faster than humans, and can do so directly at job sites.
Newsom vetoes high-speed rail supervision bill after agency receives condemnatory audit
The audit found the CHSRA approved almost $600,000 in unallowable travel expenses.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello