Global Warming

Social Equity: The Missing Leg of the Three-Legged Stool of Climate Action

Climate action plans cannot succeed without bona fide action on social equity and job creation, argues Murtaza Baxamusa who teaches planning at USC and develops affordable housing Murtaza Baxamusa.

March 13, 2016 - UrbDeZine

Cities Lead the Way in Meeting Paris Climate Goals

To meet the U.N.’s global warming targets, city leadership is critical.

December 22, 2015 - Next City

Not-So-Secret Climate Change Conspirators: T.V. Weather Reporters

TV weather reporters should be educators of the public about climate change. Yet they range from being outright deniers to keeping silent about this cataclysmic threat to life on Earth. An examination of why and what can be done about it.

November 3, 2015 - UrbDeZine

Miami Temperature

Urban Heat Waves Likely to Hit Harder

Yet another climate change side effect: more frequent urban heat waves. And because urban temperatures tend higher than rural ones, cities should be ready to protect the most vulnerable.

August 2, 2015 - The Nature Conservancy - Cool Green Science

China Flood

China Submerged: Mapping Nightmare Sea Levels

Cartographer Jeffrey Linn has compiled maps of how coastal China would look under risen seas. Over 40 percent of the country's population lives in potentially affected regions.

May 30, 2015 - China File

Op-Ed: Reintroduce California's Historic Restoration Tax Credit

Despite a veto by Governor Jerry Brown, California’s Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins should keep trying to pass legislation to encourage preservation, says Bay area preservation architect Jerri Holan.

October 24, 2014 - UrbDeZine

How Los Angeles' Urban Parks Battle Climate Change

An overview of how Los Angeles County’s Department of Parks and Recreation is creating projects that tackle the effects of climate change, by planner Clement Lau.

August 1, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire: Summer Temperatures in 2100

A new interactive map titled "1,001 Blistering Future Summers" displays predicted daytime summer heat temperatures for 1,001 cities in the United States for the year 2100.

July 31, 2014 - CityLab

When is Density Beneficial in Disasters?

Comparing cities versus suburbs in disaster resiliency and recovery.

June 15, 2014 - UrbDeZine

Coal Mining and Power Station

Climate Change: a Global Commons Problem

A quick city planner's guide to the voluminous Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report out earlier this month.

May 2, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Us High Speed Rail System

Public Sets Low Priority for Improving Transportation Infrastructure

A new survey of the American people from the Pew Research Center ranks the priorities of the public on matters like the deficit, healthcare, and crime. Bringing up the rear of public concern: infrastructure and global warming.

January 27, 2014 - Pew Research Center

Global Warming Becomes Hot Spot for U.S. State Department

While secretary of state John Kerry has been jetting around the world pushing for peace in the world's hot spots, the State Department has been undergoing a top-down pivot to address a topic no less daunting: global warming.

January 3, 2014 - The New York Times

New Study Challenges 2 Degree Climate Change Cap

New studies published this week challenge the 2 degree Celsius global warming threshold and call for an early warning system to monitor climate shifts.

December 4, 2013 - Grist

How a Polar Meltdown Would Reshape the Planet's Coastlines

While we won't live to see it, humanity's carbon emissions could one day melt all of the ice on Earth. National Geographic's interactive map shows how the world's coastlines would change when sea levels rise 216 feet. Say goodbye to Florida.

November 8, 2013 - National Geographic

Obama Signs Resilience Order

In an acknowledgement that significant climate change is a real and growing threat (and unlikely to be averted), President Obama will direct federal agencies to make it easier for localities plan for, and adapt to, a warming planet.

November 2, 2013 - The New York Times

Within Decades, Historic Heat Will Be the Global Norm

Get used to hearing about historically hot temperatures. Using 39 of the world’s foremost climate models, researchers have developed "climate departure" dates for cities around the world to predict when temperatures will exceed historical norms.

October 10, 2013 - The New York Times

Chicago Program a Model for Preserving Affordable Housing and Cutting Pollution

A Chicago-based community development financial institution (CDFI) and efficiency group help apartment building owners tame high utility costs, preserve affordable housing, and cut global warming emissions.

August 23, 2013 - WBEZ FM Chicago

Three Feet of Sea Level Rise Very Possible by Century's End

A preview of the next major United Nations climate change report is taking a stronger stance on the role of humans in causing global warming and predicting a possible sea level rise that would endanger cities such as London, New York, and Shanghai.

August 20, 2013 - The New York Times

Confessions of a Failed Energy Martyr

Somewhere along the ramifying pathways of the possible, Raymond Welch became an energy consultant. In this Terrain.org guest editorial, he rants on a troubling future that he helped create.

August 15, 2013 - Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built + Natural Environments

California Already Confronting ‘Significant’ Impacts of Climate Change

A new report by state scientists identifies three dozen environmental indicators that confirm the effects of climate change on California are ‘significant and growing.’

August 14, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

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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.