Environment
At What Cost an Ocean View?
New Jersey has to decide how to protect homes, roads and development from future storms. The Army Corps of Engineers has proposed to build protective sand dunes, but a small number of beachfront property owners refuse to allow the plan to proceed.
One of California's Most Famous Wine Regions is About to Run Out of Water
Paso Robles -- one of California's premier wine-producing regions -- is on the verge of running out of water, pitting wine producers against rural residents. At stake is the possible future of the region.
Cities and States Most Impacted by Early Deaths from Air Pollution
An MIT study finds 200,000 early deaths per year in U.S. are attributed to air pollution. The biggest source is vehicle tailpipes at 53,000. Most impacted state: California; most impacted city: Baltimore.
A New Idea To Save San Francisco Bay From Sea Level Rise
What do Google, Facebook, Yahoo, Intuit and many other tech companies in have in common? Their locations next o the San Francisco Bay could be underwater within 50 years as sea levels rise. The latest idea is a "Golden Gate Barrage".
Have Planners Made the Gulf Coast Better Since Katrina?
In the eight years since Hurricane Katrina, the Gulf Coast states have made great strides in adopting new visions for their cities and towns. A new report outlines the recovery's progress, pointing to successes in housing and transportation.
Illinois Kicks Smokers' Butts
According to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, 1.7 billion pounds of toxic cigarette butts are casually discarded each year around the world, fouling city streets and natural environments. Illinois has decided to do something about the scourge.
California Fracking Legislation Creates Odd Allies
Sacramento reporter John Myers suggests that if the oil industry and the Sierra Club both oppose a fracking bill - one for going too far; the other for not going far enough - then state Senator Fran Pavley's bill, "must be doing something right".
Electric Will Supplant Fossil Fuel Cars on Safety
Advocating safety for the successful electric replacement of internal combustion engine cars solves many of the challenges of an automobile-inclusive future urbanity, and there will be no other kind.
CEQA Legislative Reform Now Far From Certain
George Skelton, capitol journalist for the LA Times, argues for compromise on Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg's SB 731 that weaves a tight line between labor & environmentalists vowing to uphold CEQA and businesses demanding reform.
Building Material Industries Lead LEED Backlash
The USGBC's LEED rating system certainly has its share of warts. But in states across the U.S., the timber, plastics and chemical industries are challenging LEED requirements for insidious reasons: to protect the market for their products.
Pristine Lake George to be Made a 'Smart Lake' to Monitor Climate Change
New York’s Lake George will soon be wired to more monitoring technology than any other body of water in the world.
EPA Move to Monitor Roadway Air Pollution May Have Broad Planning Impacts
With evidence on the harmful health impacts of vehicle emissions increasing, the EPA will begin monitoring pollution levels adjacent to freeways in Los Angeles and more than 100 of America's biggest cities. Experts say the action is long overdue.
Yosemite Fire Threatens Bay Area's Power and Water Supplies
Over the weekend, a massive fire burning near Yosemite National Park continued to grow, prompting Governor Brown to declare a state of emergency for San Francisco County (more than 100 miles to the west) and altering the area's treasured landscape.
Coastal Flooding Could Cost $1 Trillion Annually by 2050
By 2050, scientists believe that flooding could inflict $1 trillion in annual loses globally, up from $6 billion per year today. The United States and China are well represented in a list of the 20 cities facing the highest annual flood costs.
Complicated Duality of Pacific Northwest's Green Image
The energy industry's plans to transport oil and coal bound for Asia via rail through the Pacific Northwest provokes outrage and a lawsuit.
What's the Most Energy Efficient Way to Shop?
On his Per Square Mile blog, Tim de Chant has been kind enough to answer one of mankind's biggest existential questions: What’s more energy efficient, shopping online or in stores?
The Real Jurassic Park: Why a Highway Widening Project Hasn't Been Entirely Bad for L.A.
The highway widening project that's slowed traffic along the already slothful 405 freeway for the past four years, and brought us the revelatory event known as "Carmageddon", hasn't been all bad news. It offers a glimpse of the city's oldest rocks.
In Absence of Global Action, Regional Partnerships Pursue Cap-and-Trade
California Air Resources Board Chairwoman Mary Nichols signed an agreement with Australia to share policy on reducing green house gas emissions. The Planning Report presents the following transcript of her remarks at the signing.
Chicago Program a Model for Preserving Affordable Housing and Cutting Pollution
A Chicago-based community development financial institution (CDFI) and efficiency group help apartment building owners tame high utility costs, preserve affordable housing, and cut global warming emissions.
Plan Bay Area: Sued From the Right, Now the Left
Plan Bay Area must be doing something right as it seems to be antagonizing those on both ends of the planning spectrum. First, a libertarian group sues because of "densification", and now environmentalists sue because not enough funds go for transit.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
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
