Environment
Can New Leadership Deliver New Stormwater and Sewer Systems in New Orleans?
The new head of the Sewage & Water Board of New Orleans comes to the job from Milwaukee, and he already has big ideas about what the city must do to prevent flooding like it experienced last summer.
Shasta Dam Expansion Explorations Underway
Raising the height of the Shasta Dam in Northern California has been on the table since the 1980s. Now it looks like the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation is going through with it.
Court Reinstates Coastal Commission's Decision on San Diego Harbor Island Project
A long-running legal battle over proposed hotel developments in San Diego appears to have come to an end.
A Thriving Dallas Farm Feeds and Educates Year Round
A hydroponic farm on the grounds of the Texas State Fair helps residents in the food deserts of South Dallas.
The 3 E's of Sustainability in Local Climate Action: The Portland Clean Energy Initiative
Urban sustainability efforts have historically failed to advance all three E’s of sustainability: environmental action, economic development, and equity. However, a movement is underway to put equity—the oft-ignored E—at the forefront.
220,000 EV Drivers in California to Lose Carpool Lane Perk in 2019
The good news: the Clean Air Vehicle program for electric vehicles will be extended for at least three years. The bad news: not all EVs that have a decal now will be able to be renewed. Congestion on HOV and HOT lanes is a major concern.
The Next Environmental Stewards
The research is clear: For climate leadership, look no further than young people, people of color, and young people of color.
Gov. Jerry Brown Signs 16 Bills to Spur Sales of New and Used Electric Vehicles
On the second day of the Global Climate Action Summit, co-host Gov. Jerry Brown signed 16 bills onboard a new plug-in hybrid electric ferry in San Francisco Bay to spur sales of zero-emission vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Hurricane Florence Causes Coal Ash Spill at Former Coal Power Plant
The breach of the coal ash landfill by a former coal-burning power plant in Wilmington, North Carolina serves as a reminder that even after coal plants are shuttered, the by-products of the world's most polluting fossil fuel can still cause harm.
Matching Urban Infill With Tree Infill
Seattle shows how new buildings and new trees can be added to a city simultaneously—in fact, neighborhoods adding new buildings are maintaining its urban tree canopy while static single-family neighborhoods are losing trees.
Phasing Out the Internal Combustion Engine No Easy Task
A report from the Global Climate Action Summit on a looming deadline set by the Paris climate agreement: ending sales of new gas and diesel-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035.
How U.S. Cities Are Taking Climate Action
A new survey identified the top climate strategies favored by municipalities around the country.
Los Angeles Aims for Zero-Emission Transportation
The region hopes to achieve widespread electrification of transportation ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
Don't Blame Climate Change for Hurricane Florence
But you can blame climate change for 6 inches of storm surge resulting from sea level rise. Florence made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on Friday as a Category 1 storm with wind speeds of 90 mph.
A Showcase of Innovative Climate Change and Resiliency Design Projects
A competition in the San Francisco Bay Area highlights projects considering new ways to design for impending environmental changes.
California's Climate Leadership Put to the Test
A three-day global summit on climate action in San Francisco, hosted by Gov. Jerry Brown, is unlike other international climate summits in that it features "non-state actors," such as governors, mayors, and businesses, rather than nations.
Utilities Still Catching Up to Public Opinion on Renewable Energy
Renewable energy enjoys broad public support—the utility industry is more skeptical.
New Tool Calculates the Carbon Footprint of Cities
Google's Environmental Insights Explorer multiplies the power of Google Maps for the benefit of the planet.
Latest Obama-Era Regulations Targeted by the Trump Administration: Methane Rules
One Obama-era climate regulation still on the books deals with methane leakage from oil and gas wells. The greenhouse gas is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Another methane regulation targeted deals with flaring on federal lands.
Proposed State-Level Wetlands Regulations in California: Protections and Complications
The state is seeking to protect wetlands from federal regulation rollbacks, but broader protections could also mean more costly and cumbersome processes.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
