Environment
Local Climate Change Response Prevailing Over Federal Action
With national action tackling climate change remaining weak, regional and local municipalities are taking substantive actions to address the oncoming severe affects of climate change.
Report: Fracking Doesn't Pose Danger to California Groundwater
The Bureau of Land Management will resume oil and gas leasing in California after a report by a scientific research organization established by the state legislature showed no correlation between fracking and groundwater pollution.
Fifty Years of the Wilderness Act
Fifty years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law The Wilderness Act, at the time protecting more than nine million acres of wild lands throughout the nation.
The Environmental Disaster of Louisiana's Vanishing Coast
A rich new feature for ProPublica details what's described as "one of the greatest environmental and economic disasters in the nation’s history."
California to Enact Nation's First Statewide Plastic Bag Ban
Overcoming initial rejection on the Assembly floor on Monday, bill supporters picked up six votes on Thursday "upon reconsideration" and it passed. The Senate approved it Friday and it is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown, who has until Sept. 30 to act.
Chicago Parks District Offers Opportunities to Camp in the Urban Wild
Camping isn't for everyone, but everyone who wants to camp should get an opportunity to. A growing program run by the Chicago Park District allows residents to heed the call of the wild, right inside the city.
California Resolution Will Create More Outdoor Spaces at Schools
The California government passed a new resolution this summer promoting green schoolyards statewide. It builds on previous state policies and unites a wide array of green city planning and education efforts under a single "Living Schoolyard" theme.
World's Largest Dam Removal Project Complete in Washington State
Here's a comeback story for the ages: The Elwha River in Washington, dammed for the production of hydroelectric power for almost a century, runs wild again.
'Hidden Gas Tax' or Not—California's Cap and Trade Policy Starts a New Era
Will California gas station see queues at their pumps on Dec. 31 as motorists seek their last fill-up before gas prices soar 15 cents per gallon, as AB 69 supporters warned? The bill died in the state legislature on August 22.
How the One Percent Deals with Drought in California
Anna Louise Bardach tells the story of Montecito, California, an extremely wealthy enclave near Santa Barbara, which has enough money to buy its way out of the drought.
China Bans the Use of Coal Around Cities
In this Sunday Review editorial, The New York Times applauds China's announcement that it will ban coal burning in the Beijing region by 2020, but warns that some solutions to air pollution will exacerbate climate change.
U.S. EPA: the Clean Air Act Delivers
Phys.org shares the details of a new report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency about the air quality benefits of the Clean Air Act for cities around the county.
Alaska Voters Reject Higher Taxes on Oil Companies
Alaskans agreed, but not by much, with Gov. Sean Parnell and not former Gov. Sarah Palin that oil companies needed to pay less taxes if they are to boost oil production. Voters rejected a tax referendum that was on Tuesday's ballot to repeal SB 21.
Study Measures Impacts of Climate and Land Use Changes
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Aarhus University in Denmark understand for the first time the combined potential impacts of both climate and land-use change on plants, animals, and ecosystems throughout the United States.
Closing Gaps in the Florida Greenways and Trails System
The recent purchase of land to close gaps in the Florida Greenways and Trails System resulted from partnerships between state, regional and county governments to protect land for recreation and conservation in the Sunshine State.
The Paradox of Reduced Oil Reserve Estimates
Until recently, California's Monterey Shale was estimated to have the nation's highest amount of recoverable oil. Then the Energy Department revised their estimates, lowering it 96%, which turned out to be bad news for fracking moratorium advocates.
Lean Urbanism: A Century-Old Practice?
A short case study in Lean Urbanism, compliments of Victoria Beach, Manitoba.
First 'Chief Resilience Officer' Begins Term in Oakland
Victoria Salinas was recently named Oakland, California's first Chief Resilience Officer (CRO), a position popping up in municipalities throughout the world.
Sating Food Deserts with Frequent Transit Networks
According to Jarrett Walker, one solution to alleviating food deserts is by providing residents access to frequent transportation networks.
California to Cap Incomes Eligible for Electric Vehicle Rebates
A bill will attempt to bring some equity to the flagrantly inequitable rebate program that subsidizes purchases of Electric Vehicles. Additional subsidies would be directed to low income families. Rebates could also be used for car share and transit.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
