NASA

Gray moon surface with black sky and Earth in the background.

Train on the Moon? US to Explore Lunar Railway

Program proponents say this “visionary” endeavor “heralds a new era of human presence and economic activity beyond Earth.”

March 25, 2024 - The Economic Times

Mars Rover

Mars Perseverance Rover and the Future Colonization of Mars

The 2020s is the decade of Mars. Last week NASA's Perseverance rover became the sixth American robot to land on the red planet, and the third visitor this month. Where are we going with Mars, who will get us there, and what is the ultimate goal?

March 2, 2021 - Pete Sullivan

Agriculture

Land Use the Subject of Latest IPCC Report

Not urban land use, but in the literal sense: land used to produce food, graze livestock, supply drinking water, grow trees, and sequester carbon. As the climate warms and the population grows, crop yields will decrease and land will be degraded.

August 12, 2019 - The Washington Post

Florida

NASA's Urban Plan for Space Settlements

A 1977 NASA publication laid out a plan for the future of space settlements. The future of space looks very urban.

December 3, 2018 - Greater Greater Washington

Hangar One

NASA Wants to Build 1,930 Rental Units in the Silicon Valley

NASA Ames wants to add a lot of housing to a 45-acre site at Moffett Field in the Silicon Valley. The new housing would give NASA employees more housing options in an expensive and impacted market.

September 5, 2017 - The Mercury News

Scott Pruitt

EPA Administrator Transitions from Climate Change Skeptic to Denier

Perhaps there never really was much difference between 'skepticism' and 'denial'. Scott Pruitt certainly proved that on Thursday when he answered CNBC's Joe Kernen's question if carbon emissions are the primary cause of climate change.

March 13, 2017 - CNBC

Vehicle Assembly Building Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral in Flux

Caught between the end of the space shuttle and the potential rise of private sector spaceflight, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center present a unique land use challenge.

March 24, 2016 - CityLab

United States from Space

Mapping the Trends in Pollution

Good news for the United States is found in a recent series of maps by NASA. Air pollution has significantly improved around the country.

February 6, 2016 - The Washington Post

Study: Climate Change Turning World's Lakes Into Hot Tubs

The message of a new study funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation: don't forget freshwater when considering the impacts of climate change. Lakes and other bodies of water are threatened by potentially catastrophic vulnerabilities.

December 20, 2015 - NASA Global Climate Change

The Incredible Sinking Central Valley

Parts of the nation's food basket, the San Joaquin Valley in California, are sinking at two inches per month, not per year. Known as subsidence, it results from over-pumping of groundwater by farmers desperate to save their crops in the epic drought.

August 22, 2015 - NPR

NASA Looking for Help Planning the Built Environment—On Mars

You've got big ideas about how to make life better for lots of people. But are your ideas big enough for a home on Mars?

May 8, 2015 - Network World

Really Bad News from Antarctica

For those who thought that glacial melting due to climate change mainly affected Greenland and mountain glaciers like in the Himalayas, think again. A new NASA/UC Irvine study reports that melting of West Antarctica's glaciers "appears unstoppable".

May 13, 2014 - Vox

Developing a Block-by-Block Understanding of the Impacts of Climate Change

The best models of the impacts of climate change have been devoted to understanding global, or even national, changes. But NASA has devoted significant computational resources to projecting future climate conditions at the neighborhood level.

September 30, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Mars Panorama

Friday Eye Candy: A Billion-Pixel Panorama of Mars

The Mars Curiosity Rover has sent us some pretty cool stuff since landing on the red planet in August of 2012. The latest souvenir of its trip is a billion-pixel panorama of the planet's surface.

June 21, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

What Can NASA Learn About Fighting Climate Change By Observing L.A.?

In the mountains surrounding L.A. stand some of the most advanced environment analyzing technology in the U.S. The result of this analysis could be "a groundbreaking development in the worldwide fight against global warming."

March 1, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Earth at night

NASA Gives Light to the Globe at Night

This week, scientists unveiled unprecedented images of the Earth at night, as captured by a new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite.

December 6, 2012 - NASA

Friday Eye Candy: The Universe is Big

The Hubble Space Telescope has been busy for the past decade. After looking at the same spot in the sky for a total of 2 million seconds it has produced what NASA calls the "farthest-ever" portrait of the universe, reports Rebecca J. Rosen.

October 5, 2012 - The Atlantic

Is Space Elevator Ready for Liftoff?

Alex Goldmark reports on the new NASA-inspired space elevator design that is primed for testing and could make it possible for billionaires to step foot on the moon sooner than later.

September 15, 2012 - Transportation Nation

James Hansen: Extreme Weather Linked to Climate Change

NASA scientist James Hansen, considered to be the 'godfather of global warming' has co-authored a new report that shows the connection between 'extreme weather events', such as the drought most of the U.S. is now experiencing, and climate change.

August 7, 2012 - PBS NewsHour

Our Changing Landscapes, as Seen From Orbit

Earlier this week we brought you stunning images of global urban growth as captured by Landsat, NASA's longest running satellite imagery program. These images capture the dramatic changes to some of America's natural landscapes.

August 3, 2012 - Wired

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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.