Environment
Friday Eye Candy: The 'Most Definitive' Film About Water
Canadian filmmakers Jennifer Baichwal and Nick de Pencier created a feature length documentary film called Watermark to capture the “existential interactions around the world with water."
Recovery of Washington Mudslide Area Turns to State Highway
On the one month anniversary of the mudside that wiped out much of Oso, Wash., President Obama came to tour the devastation. The death toll stands at 41, with two missing. Restoring the region's economic lifeline, state Route 530, is top priority.
'A Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles' Elevates Public Health Among Planning Priorities
Available for public comment until May 13, Los Angeles is considering a new Health and Wellness Element for its General Plan, called “A Plan for a Healthy Los Angeles.” It’s an ambitious document for a large and diverse city.
New York City's Most Serious Pollution Continues to Plague its Residents
Imagine living high above Manhattan but unable to open your windows because of soot-laden smoke from surrounding buildings. Toxic emissions from burning dirty heating oil continues despite a 2011 law requiring conversion to a cleaner fuel.
Meet the Creek that Splits the United States in Half
Move over Panama Canal, there’s another waterway that connects one side of the continent to the other. These waters part ways in Wyoming.
Washington D.C. Getting a Giant Greenhouse
A company called BrightFarms is developing a 100,000 square-foot greenhouse on a vacant lot in Washington D.C. The farm will provide jobs for locals and reduce the environmental footprint of the food sourcing process.
Should Tesla Buyers Receive a $2,500 Rebate from California?
Currently, California residents who purchase plug-in electric vehicles can receive up to $2,500, depending on the type of electric vehicle, with all-electrics receiving the maximum rebate. However, the Air Resources Board is proposing a change.
Ranking the Most Resilient Cities
Resilience has entered into the planning and urbanism lexicon as a large challenge for all places pursuing prosperous, sustainable futures. A new study examines the world’s leading cities for lessons in resilience.
The Urban Reordering: Can the United States Make it Stick?
The trend toward the urban has been documented from every possible angle, but a recent op-ed wonders whether it will be possible for the federal government to make a course correction that ceases the endless subsidies for the suburbs.
Breaking News on Keystone XL Pipeline: More Delay
Don't expect President Obama to issue a yes or no decision on whether to build TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline until after the November elections. A pending Nebraska court case and millions of public comments were given as the reason for the delay
Study Maps the Spatial Patterns of U.S. Environmental Injustice
A new study by researchers from the University of Minnesota presents a sweeping portrait of trends in exposure to nitrogen dioxide across the United States.
Coal Power Plants Dealt Blow by Appeals Court Ruling
The nation's first standards requiring power plants to reduce hazardous emissions, including the neurotoxin mercury, a coal-burning by-product, was upheld by a federal appeals court in a major win for public health, the EPA, and President Obama.
Urban Planning for Public Health in California’s San Joaquin Valley
The American Lung Association is making an “urban planning push” in three San Joaquin Valley counties, according to a recent article in Associations Now. The idea behind the efforts to reduce public health risks: promote walkable communities.
The Rising Costs of Water Quality
The pressures on water supply are growing at the same time that water quality is becoming more expensive and more difficult to maintain. A recent article examines the challenges in the farm state of Nebraska.
Beyond Oil: Trains Turn to LNG Fuel and Hybrid Locomotives
According to a new EIA report, the cost advantages of liquefied natural gas make it an attractive alternative to diesel fuel for major U.S. freight railroad companies. Hybrid diesel-electric locomotives on order for 5 states will power HSR routes.
Time Running Out for Climate Change Action, Warns IPCC
In its second major report since 2007, the U.N. panel's report was not all bad news. It noted that while nations may be slow to agree to climate treaties, city and state governments have written their own climate plans along with the private sector.
Pulitzer Prizes Awarded for Urbanism and Built Environment Journalism
The 2014 Pulitzer Prizes yesterday awarded the best work of journalists over the past year. Included in the roster of winners were journalists and publications covering issues of relevance to Planetizen readers.
Texas’ Drought Prompts Calls for Water Management Improvements
A recent article details the rapid growth, evaporating surface storage capacity, and manicured lawns worsening drought conditions in Texas (no, not California).
As the Seas Rise, Cities 'Dither'
The world’s coastal cities now face an impossible situation as a result of climate change. While the impacts and catastrophes become inevitable, why do cities like San Francisco dither rather than act?
Which Cities Have the Most Energy Star Buildings?
More and more energy efficient buildings are coming online, but buildings are still a major source of energy use around the world. To track green building, the EPA recently ranked the cities with the most Energy Star buildings.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
