Environment
Is Obama Set to Break Environmentalists' Hearts?
Environmentalists likely found much to cheer in President Obama's support for bold action on climate change during the State of the Union address. Was their optimism premature?
Valentines for City Enthusiasts
If you're looking for the perfect Valentine's Day card for the planning enthusiast in your life, search no further. Five different Valentines show appreciation for cities and the people that live in them.
State of the Union Recap: Energy, Economy, Infrastructure and Environment
In an address heavy on President Obama's domestic agenda for the first year of his second term, issues of importance to planners and urbanists got plenty of play, including: the environment, energy, infrastructure, and the economy.
Geologists Dispute Predictions of a "Saudi America"
While holding out promise for oil industry advocates, shale oil extraction in the United States appears to obey the law of diminishing returns.
The Conundrum of local food and/vs. sustainability
Most plants grown for food require significant amounts of water - water that Los Angeles doesn't have. How does one identify the point at which local isn't sustainable?
Five Energy Objectives - Is There Consensus?
Alaska Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski believes that politicians of both parties will support her five energy objectives: Make it abundant, affordable, clean, diverse and secure. Will it provide a 'conversation starter' to frame federal policy?
10 Best U.S. Cities for Urban Forests
American Forests has announced its list of the top American cities who recognize the economic, aesthetic, environmental and social value of their vegetation, and work to protect and expand their urban forests.
District of Columbia Challenges Feds on Climate Action
The District of Columbia is challenging the federal government on climate action, with lawmakers proposing to outlaw a local coal-burning power plant that powers Congress.
Where Are You Putting Those Food Scraps?
State and local governments across the United States are beginning to divert waste from landfills and promote organic composting.
Despite Global Pleas, the U.S. Abstains from Leading on Climate Change
Global leaders met last week in New Delhi to discuss climate change mitigation through sustainable development measures. For those on the front lines of climate change, the intransigence of the U.S. has sparked concern, reports Joanna Zelman.
Fracking Debate Comes to California
Hydraulic fracturing may finally allow drillers to extricate oil from the Monterey Shale, creating a shale oil boom that could dwarf ones in states such as North Dakota. Environmentalists are digging in to limit the controversial practice.
The Man Who Would Change CEQA
If the 43-year-old California Environmental Act is going to be changed - as Gov. Brown hopes, most agree the legislation will be championed by Michael Rubio, a young, moderate Latino Democratic in the second year of his first term in the senate.
Artist Envisions the Elusive Pleasures of Urban Stargazing
Unless a catastrophic natural disaster strikes your city (we're not hoping it does), the chances of being able to gaze upon the wonders of the cosmos from an urban perch are slim. Thierry Cohen provides a glimpse of the night sky without pollution.
U.S. Carbon Emissions Fall to Lowest Level in Two Decades
A new report indicates that carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. have fallen by 13% in the past five years. The last time carbon emissions were this low, Ace of Base was topping the charts and "Pulp Fiction" was reviving the career of John Travolta.
Eco-Friendly Vehicles Lose Their Congestion Pricing Exemption in London
Scores of low emission and hybrid vehicles will no longer be exempt from London's spectacularly successful congestion pricing scheme because their growing popularity has increased pollution and traffic in the capital, reports the Daily Mail.
Federal Program Develops Innovative Greening Strategies, But Is Anyone Paying Attention?
Kaid Benfield spotlights an innovative federal program that is "not very well known but deserves to be." The "Greening America’s Capitals" program aims to make America's state capitals showpieces for green infrastructure and green building practices.
San Francisco Studies How to Stay Dry
From a giant dam across the Golden Gate to a dozen "ventilated levees," the options proposed for protecting San Francisco Bay from rising seas are neither cheap nor subtle. But with sea level rise "around the corner," hard choices must be made.
Using Geodesign to Model the Complex Intersection of Land Use and Climate Change
The subject of a recent summit hosted by software maker Esri, Larry Greenemeier explains the application of Geodesign to help predict and manage the increasingly complex intersection of design, land use, ecology, and climate change.
The Politics of Public Works
As Barack Obama takes the oath of office for his second term, Places editor Nancy Levinson argues for an intensified political agenda for architects and urban designers.
Northeast Cap-and-Trade Agreement Faces Uncertain Future
Established eight years ago by a bipartisan coalition of Northeast and mid-Atlantic governors, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was the first cap-and-trade system established in the U.S. It now faces an uncertain future.
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
