Education & Careers
Repurposing Vacant Schools
Some communities are turning abandoned campuses into offices, art studios, and housing.
Nature and Nurture: Understanding the Diversity of Biophilia
Biophilia, originally thought to be an innate and universal love for nature, is now understood as a temperament trait with significant individual differences influenced by genetics and experience.
Wildfires Devastate LA Outdoor Education Spaces and Schools
The current Los Angeles wildfires have destroyed schools and outdoor education spaces like Eaton Canyon, displacing families and disrupting vital learning and community resources while highlighting the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters.
Urban Forest Initiative Launched in Phoenix to Combat Extreme Heat
Arizona State University's $5 million Greater Phoenix Urban Forestry Accelerator aims to combat record-breaking heat, improve shade coverage, and create green job pathways in underserved neighborhoods.
Key Climate and Health Issues to Watch in 2025
The escalating health impacts of climate change, from extreme heat to sea level rise, highlight the urgent need for integrated medical education, proactive communication, and sustainable policy solutions to protect public health.
A Better Way to Plan School Facilities
Taking a wider view of communities could help keep schools open despite falling enrollment.
Recycling’s Real Impact: Challenges, Misconceptions, and the Path Forward
Recycling offers modest environmental benefits but faces significant challenges in effectiveness and scalability, requiring systemic changes like reducing plastic production and exploring alternative waste reduction strategies.
New York Law Addresses Extreme Heat in Schools
The law calls for heat mitigation measures when temperatures exceed 88 degrees.
Students Drive Solutions for Environmental Justice Through Video Challenge
The Environmental Justice Video Challenge empowers students and communities to collaboratively address environmental inequities through innovative data-driven strategies, resulting in impactful projects and fostering local leadership.
Detecting Invasive Species Early Through Citizen Science
Community science platforms like eBird and iNaturalist enhance early detection of invasive species, complementing professional surveillance and highlighting the need for stronger collaboration between the public and official authorities.
Rebuilding Together: How One Baltimore Program Advanced Education and Community Development
When Baltimore got funding for a round of school renovations, the state directed it to design schools that would also advance neighborhood revitalization — and it learned some lessons about why that's not always so simple.
Parents Turn to Ride-Hailing as Schools Pull Bus Transportation
Some districts are cutting back on school buses, leaving some children without reliable transportation to and from school.
Fact Check: New Housing Doesn’t Lead to Overcrowded Schools
A common refrain heard by locals opposed to new housing developments is that area schools can’t absorb the increase in students they’ll bring. As the nation approaches an “enrollment cliff,” the data tells a different story.
Why Some Affordable Housing Managers Are Running Education Programs
Many housing organizations are finding that educational programs are a logical — and valuable — addition to their offerings.
Applying to Graduate School in Planning: A Second Update
In 2008 and 2018, I wrote some much-read blogs about how to get into planning school. As deadlines near, I revisit that advice. I look first at the big picture of the case you need to make for the admissions committee and then the logistics.
Expanding the Mission: Community Groups Serving Schools
Some community development organizations have added education to their traditional focus on housing and economic development, looking for ways to support families and children by partnering with local school districts. How is it working?
Future Floods in Focus: Using AI and Physics to Visualize Disaster Risks
MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking AI-powered tool that integrates physics-based models to generate realistic satellite images of future flooding, offering communities a powerful way to visualize and prepare for disasters.
Improving South Los Angeles Through Strategic Tree Planting
The University of Southern California Urban Trees Initiative is planting 250 trees in South L.A. neighborhoods to improve shade, combat climate change, and enhance community well-being through collaboration and data-driven approaches.
Hawai'i Researchers Tackle Climate Challenges in National Parks
University of Hawaiʻi researchers are using advanced remote sensing technologies to protect cultural resources in five Hawaiʻi national parks from climate change impacts while training students in cutting-edge environmental science techniques.
Explore Urban Biodiversity: Join the 2025 City Nature Challenge
The City Nature Challenge invites people worldwide to document urban biodiversity by photographing and sharing wild plants and animals through the iNaturalist app, helping scientists track and understand real-time changes in ecosystems.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
