Environment
In California, Policies Spur Rebuilding in the Wildland-Urban Interface
After the worst wildfire season ever, changes to local land use and state insurance rules essentially ensure that the same thing will happen again.
Songs About Places: Water, Rain, and Rivers
A playlist for those who seek inspiration from water—whether it's falling from the sky or running downhill.
Study: L.A. County's Urban Oil Wells Are Too Close to Homes and Schools
The Department of Public Health recommends taking action to better protect residents from oil operations that are sometimes only a few feet from where people live, work, eat, play and study.
Ballot Initiative Launched After Gov. Jay Inslee Withdraws Carbon Tax Bill
Environmental, labor, and community groups in Washington State filed an initiative for placement of a carbon fee on the November ballot. Unlike a similar measure in 2016, revenues would be used to mitigate emissions.
Climate Challenge: Not Enough EVs or Too Many SUVs?
Both are problems, but globally, sports utility vehicles sales are proliferating far faster than cars, be they electric or petrol-powered, posing a major challenge for governments committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Study: Hurricane Maria Killed for Months After Hitting Puerto Rico
According to new research, the tragic impact of Hurricane Maria lingered for months after the storm hit Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, and at far greater magnitude than the federal government has acknowledged.
After Harvey, Texas Tries State-Run Disaster Relief, With Mixed Results
The scale of the housing recovery effort means some jobs normally handles by FEMA have fallen to the Texas General Land Office.
Happy Hour: A Playlist of Songs About Water
Here's a concept we can get behind.
California's Coastal Marshes Face Extinction By 2110
Climate change and coastal development are combining to stamp out important ecological landscapes.
German Cities to Breathe Easier After Court Ruling on Diesel Car Bans
Unlike banning sales of new internal combustion vehicles at a future date, the German court ruling applies to the operation of older, diesel-powered cars in the country's most polluted cities. It's up to the cities, though, to enact the bans.
Affordable Housing Stock and Earthquake Risk
The city of Seattle needs more affordable housing, like most cities. It also has almost 2,000 existing affordable units at "high risk" in the event of an earthquake.
How We Can Better Integrate the Energy Industry into Eco-Friendly Planning
There are plenty of opportunities to green the world's energy production and consumption infrastructure, but it will take good planning.
Another City to Offer Free Transit on Bad Air Days
Brussels is the latest city to provide incentives for commuters willing to take transit in the name of air quality.
The Great Climate Change Migration
Climate change is already causing displacement on a massive scale.
The Most Toxic Place in the United States
The title for most toxic location in the United States goes to a remote, and perhaps surprising location.
Mapping Climate Change's Economic Impacts in the United States
A recent study from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) predicts some of the economic impacts of climate change.
Is CEQA the Main Impediment to Housing Construction in California?
According to a new study by UC Berkeley and Columbia University, local land use processes, specifically the approval process, rather than the California Environmental Quality Act, is the main impediment to housing production in California.
U.S. EPA's Enforcement Drops to Unprecedented Low
Polluters are going unpunished.
EPA Releases Draft Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 1990 to 2016
The inventory, a requirement from a 1992 U.N. treaty, shows emissions from most sectors are either decreasing or holding steady. The major exception: transportation.
Report Details the Long-Term Financial Benefits of Green Design
This report estimates that U.S. cities could save half a trillion dollars by investing in "smart surface technologies." The study takes into account obvious factors like energy use and less intuitive ones like tourism revenues.
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
