Environment
Huge Southern California Methane Leak Won't Be Plugged for Months
The mother of all natural gas leaks can be found near Porter Ranch in Los Angeles County. The methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is leaking from an underground storage facility known as the Aliso Canyon Gas Storage Field owned by SoCalGas Company.
Implications for Planning Emerge From COP21
The Conference of Parties (COP21) held during the last two weeks in Paris establishes ambitious climate change emission reduction targets. This will be a challenge and opportunity for planners. Here are some highlights.
Washington Hopes to Coexist With Growing Number of Wolf Packs
The state of Washington is navigating the complex politics of wildlife protection—in this case, wildlife means the territory of an estimated 16 wolf packs.
First There Were Electric Vehicles—Will Electric Roads Be Next?
Two Texas universities received a federal grant to embed sensors in road asphalt to create renewable electricity from the wind created by passing vehicles to power roadside lights and traffic signals.
What Makes San Diego's Climate Plan Different From All the Others
It's been a month of historic announcements in the effort to combat climate change. But a vote today in San Diego might set the standard for ambitious, enforceable action.
San Francisco's Diesel Bus and Truck Fleet Just Got Much Greener
San Francisco's diesel vehicles have been using a biodiesel blend for years, but in a move that illustrates the differences among biofuels, Mayor Ed Lee announced that the fleet will now use 100 percent renewable diesel fuel.
Big News From Paris: A New International Climate Accord
After two weeks of negotiating in Paris, almost 200 countries agreed to a plan to reduce emissions, though not to the level supporters had hoped. Nonetheless, the COP21 agreement may be an 'inflection point in human history,' notes The Times.
Car-Free Movement Gaining Steam in Europe and Elsewhere
Athlyn Cathcart-Keays of The Guardian-Cities chronicles the advancement of the international urban car-free movement as well as auto regulations that focus on air pollution. The most recent city to join the growing list is Oslo, Norway
Good News on Bad Air Day in Beijing
Calling Monday's air pollution a 'bad air day' is a gross understatement. The "soupy metallic haze" was comparable to walking through a coal mine. People were told not to go outside. But the good news is how the government is addressing pollution.
Op-Ed: Lake Powell No Longer Needed
Eric Balken makes the case that Lake Powell, anchored in place by the Glen Canyon Dam, is too inefficient a reservoir during times of water scarcity. Lake Mead, he says, is more than up to the task.
Beware of Energy Rankings for Cities
In a special "Energy for Tomorrow" report, The New York Times looks at "clean city rankings" of energy efficiency and land use. But ranking cities is no easy task—"winners on one list may appears as sinners on another."
Add Complexity to Your Life
The City of Calgary aims to restore 20 percent of its open space to increase biodiversity. Complex nature is—and needs to be seen as—foundational to our day-to-day lives, both for our well being, and the health of nature itself.
Water Resilience in Dry Climates
How can cities in dry climates become self-sufficient in terms of water? California based Dry Lands Institute is creating a digital design tool called Hazel that aims to address just that.
Climate Talks Won't Tackle the 'Car Problem'
The COP21 talks in Paris won't take on transportation directly, "the world’s fastest-growing energy-based contributor to greenhouse gases," writes David Jolly for The New York Times. Electric vehicles and fuel efficiency face formidable challenges.
Ambitious Goals for the 'Highway of the Future' in Georgia
In naming a highway after an green business pioneer, the state of Georgia took an initial step in what has become a growing effort to implement a new focus on the environment in the state's transportation system.
Poor Urban Planning at Heart of Devastation in India's Torrential Rains
The death toll from the torrential rains in Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu state, and the surrounding region has climbed to 345 as of Dec. 4. While the scope of the rains are unprecedented, poor urban planning has been linked to the devastation.
Cambridge Studying its Vulnerability to Climate Change
The Cambridge Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment is based on detailed climate projections, heat island mapping, and precipitation driven flood modeling. Over 1,000 physical assets and social factors are assessed for vulnerability.
Ranchers and Activists Face Off Over Wild Horses
Tens of thousands of wild horses still inhabit the western states. The Bureau of Land Management is caught between two camps: ranchers who want them contained and advocates who want them to roam free.
Too Many Cities Relying on 'Plan and Forget' Climate Adaptation Strategies
A highly critical article suggests that the experts drafting climate adaptation plans should re-evaluate their assumptions about what works and what is likely to collect dust on a shelf as the sea rises.
World Leaders Shouldn't Underestimate the Climate-Saving Potential of Bicycles
Writing in The Guardian's Bike Blog, Peter Walker has an important message for the 40,000 delegates from 195 nations gathered in Paris for the COP21 talks: Don't discount the carbon-reducing, planet-saving potential of the bicycle.
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
