Environment
5 books to contextualize America’s public land tempest
The featured texts include in-depth histories of America’s public land and how public land and the government’s displacement of Native American people are connected.
First study of NYC congestion zone’s air quality impact shows improvements
The study also examined air quality around freeways which experts worried would see increased traffic from people avoiding the tolls.
‘Snow-eater’ heat waves are increasing in frequency, study finds
During intense spring heatwaves, snow melts nearly twice as fast as usual and can overwhelm city reservoirs.
Trump to allow drilling, mining near world heritage site
A UNESCO spokesperson said the world heritage committee has consistently considered mining and drilling near sites to be “incompatible with world heritage status.”
Why a Colorado River water conservation agreement is so hard to reach
As the nation's two largest reservoirs hit their lowest levels on record, what would it take to avert the crisis? An expert weighs in.
One month of wildfires has cost Washington state over $200 million
Washington’s fire season lasts through October.
To guarantee residents fresh water, Tijuana looks to the sea
Construction on one of the largest desalination plants in Latin America will soon break ground to reduce reliance on the dwindling Colorado river.
Swapping your gas car for an EV is greener than keeping it, research shows
An EV repays the 'carbon debt' caused by building it after 4,400 miles.
Rain gardens keep up to 99% of pollutants out of San Francisco Bay
The city's roadside rain gardens soak up stormwater and filter out dozens of harmful micropollutants.
Climate change could double household water costs in some cities, study finds
New research suggests that climate change-related stressors are straining municipal water systems.
Nearly a third of US housing is in the wildland-urban interface — and at growing risk of wildfire
As suburbs increasingly mingle with undeveloped land, homes face a higher risk from destructive fires.
Study: Mountain lions reduce roadway deer collisions by 67%
Scientists in Washington state found a little-studied benefit to the presence of mountain lion populations near roadways.
Extreme weather is weakening social connections
Extreme heat, flooding and other weather events are increasing isolation and fraying social ties.
Court unfreezes $20B in federal climate grants
A U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the Trump administration potentially violated the Inflation Reduction Act by attempting to claw back grants awarded under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund program.
Arizona prepares to tap into emergency water supply as it braces for Colorado River cuts
The Salt River Project has been collecting nearly 4 million acre-feet of water since the mid-1990s.
DC energy efficiency rule requires buildings to upgrade their infrastructure or face millions in fines
Building owners and condo co-op members say the upgrades are often prohibitively expensive.
80% of California homes built between 2020-2022 are in high fire risk areas
In 2020, California wildfires destroyed nearly a fifth of homes they came in contact with.
An unfinished West Hollywood building has been vacant so long, coyotes are now living in it
A construction site where work stopped in 2024 is now being dubbed 'coyote condos.'
Federal proposal calls for mandatory water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada
The Bureau of Reclamation stepped in after states failed to come to an agreement over Colorado River water use reductions.
EV battery waste threatens to overwhelm China's recycling system
The county processed over 400,000 metric tons of EV battery waste last year.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
planning NEXT
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
