Environment

Major Dam Removal Proposals Move Forward in California and Oregon
The movement to restore the Klamath River by removing four dams has achieved a major milestone in recent weeks.

Tamping Down Urban Heat Islands
As summer temperatures rise and heat waves roll through, cities can take steps to keep cool. But shedding the heat may be difficult for urban areas designed to retain it.

China Cutting Carbon
China turning over a new leaf on pollution and greenhouse gases.
Planning for a Microgrid: Santa Monica Reclaims Industrial Space for Renewable Energy
Cities throughout California, including Santa Monica, have been awarded research and development funding through the California Energy Commission to plan community-scale microgrid solutions.

Critiquing the $1.9 Billion Project to Widen I-5 in Los Angeles County
Streetsblog slams Caltrans for wasting $1.9 billion on futile freeway widening projects.

'The Well-Tempered City': An Epic Book, and Why
In a review of Jonathan F.P. Rose's new book, 'The Well-Tempered City,' Chuck Wolfe enthusiastically endorses Rose's refreshing world view.

Clean Power Plan Showdown in U.S. Appeals Court on Tuesday
The Obama Administration's most powerful environmental initiative, the Clean Power Plan, was put on hold by the Supreme Court last February. It was heard by 10 judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. on September 27.

How Detroit Beat the Silicon Valley to the Breakthrough Electric Vehicle
It costs less than $40,000 and gets over 200 miles to a charge. The Tesla Model 3? Yes, and also the Chevy Bolt, which goes to market first. A New York Times technology columnist writes that 'size matters' when it comes to innovation.

How to Manage Retreat in the Face of Sea-Level Rise and Nuisance Floods
"Strategic retreat" as a response to rising sea levels isn't an easy sell, but a new report endeavors to make the idea more palatable.
California Transit Agencies Bring Affordable Housing to Scale
From developer incentives to swapping parking for housing units, two transit systems have come up with plans that tackle the region's housing shortage and its economic inequality. What have they agreed to do, and who will hold them accountable?

JetBlue to Reduce Carbon Footprint with Large Purchase of Renewable Jet Fuel
Within ten years, passengers flying on JetBlue out of JFK will leaving a much lower carbon footprint, thanks to a fuel composed of 30 percent biofuel.

Big Agriculture Mergers Raising Antitrust Alarms
At risk with industry consolidation like a proposed merger of Bayer and Monsanto, is the environmental impact of the business, along with the financial impact on farmers.

Louisiana Dials Back Requirements for Elevating Homes in Flood Areas
Housing market pressures, flood insurance costs, changing FEMA maps, and improved methods of flood control are giving victims of flood damage in Louisiana mixed signals on how high they should rebuild their homes.

Climate Equity Agenda Key to Passage of California's Climate Legislation
Environmental advocacy is not enough. Environmental and social justice must play a role in California's legislative effort to battle climate change, opine two professors from UC Berkeley and USC in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Lack of Zoning Leaves Houston Neighborhoods Vulnerable to Pollution
Houston doesn't compare well with other cities when it comes to locating polluting industrial uses near residential neighborhoods. Blame the city's lack of zoning, according to new research.

100 Objects; 100 Ways to Influence Public Health
As the public health and planning professions expand their partnership around the world, consider this list by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health of the 100 Objects That Shaped Public Health.”

Court Ruling Mandates Culvert Improvements in Washington
In the state of Washington, 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals delivered what some are calling the "most important ruling on treaty fishing rights since 1974."

The ASLA's New Guide to Resilient Design
The American Society of landscape Architects is promoting a new guide to resilient landscape design, which examines hundreds of case studies for examples of infrastructure that works with nature, instead of against it.
Why Don't Environmentalists Support Washington's Carbon Tax Measure?
A largely revenue-neutral carbon tax proposal, similar to the carbon tax in British Columbia which began in 2008, qualified for the November ballot in Washington. Environmentalists and Democrats, not Big Oil, may cause it's defeat.

The Value of Garbage Has Changed Dramatically
Recycled metals, plastics, glass, and other materials are more economical than ever. Welcome to a new era of waste management.
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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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont