Environment
Illinois Opens Door to New Nuclear Plants
State legislators in Illinois have lifted a 23-year ban on building nuclear plants within the state.
Sustainable Pittsburgh
The public image of Pittsburgh is of a dirty, industrial city, but the city has been at the forefront of sustainability for some time.
Finding Solutions for the Colorado River Delta Problem
The Colorado River Delta is in tough shape once it ventures into Mexico. But now, a group of NGOs and local governments are showing how the sensitive area can be kept clean.
The High Costs of America's Aging Water Infrastructure
As part of its extensive coverage of water issues in the U.S., The New York Times looks at the aging water systems that plague American cities and what it would cost to fix them.
Green Features Aren't Selling Houses
Green housing features like solar roofs and angled walls add cost to a development, and lenders don't see added value. So as CNN reports, green housing currently faces a stiff market.
Land Conservation Not Responsible For High Cost of Housing
High housing prices cannot be blamed on land conservation efforts, at least not in Silicon Valley, is the word from researchers at Stanford University.
Coastal Areas Prepare For The Other 'Big One'
California has just completed a landmark effort to assess the state's worst-case tsunami danger. Now emergency response officials, and even some planners, are considering how to keep the state's coastal populations safe.
River Walk Leans Away From Tourism in San Antonio
San Antonio's River Walk is getting a new stretch of revitalized riverfront, but it's neither the utilitarian drainage ditch of the past nor the heavily sculpted tourist attraction of recent years.
A Green Mega Mansion?
Approved plans for a 10,000 square foot mansion in Berkeley, California have been classified "green" by the city's environmental rating system. Neighbors and environmentalists, however, say the house is hardly an environmental model.
Are California's Green Laws Killing Jobs?
California republicans are arguing that the state's environmental laws are hurting the economy. This editorial from the Los Angeles Times questions the wisdom of that argument and wonders what negative impacts would come from lifting CEQA.
Google Gets Bike-Friendly
The latest addition to Google Maps is a bicycle service, helping cyclists plan routes, find bike trails, and avoid hills.
Harvard Report: Gas Taxes Not Vehicle Credits Necessary To Reduce Emissions
$7 gas is necessary according to a new report if transportation emissions are to be reduced to EPA targets by 2020. What's more, providing tax credits for electric and hybrid vehicles would backfire. The report recommends steep gas tax increases.
Feds to Perform Ecological Studies on BLM Land
Tasked with managing millions of acres of public lands, the federal Bureau of Land Management has announced plans to perform detailed ecological studies of some of its most notable properties.
Multi-Family Housing to Cure Loneliness
The Swedish, apparently, long for community. Kjellgren Kaminsky Architecture has proposed a redesign for an abandoned sanitarium, turning it into a green, multi-family community.
The Complexity of Carbon Reduction in Planning
Warren Karlenzig delves into the unique challenges of reducing carbon in cities, where efforts may be misplaced. Should your city focus on green building, traffic emissions or water treatment?
Do California's Environmental Regulations Harm Business, or Drive Innovation?
Bill Fulton takes a rational approach to determining whether California's strict environmental regulations are a burdensome expense to business or if they drive them to innovate and succeed.
O.C. Homeowners Sued for Removing Lawn
In Orange, California, city codes require that front yards be 40% landscaping. After considerately adding drought-resistant plants and bark to save water, the city sued an Orange couple.
Intelligent Buildings in the Environment
Through digital displays and environmental sensors, new architecture projects are creating a visual way to monitor environmental conditions in specific places.
Community Gardens Sprout in Seattle
Activists in Seattle have created a community garden on empty land to help provide food for the city's needy.
A Successful "Blue-Green Alliance" At Port Of LA
The single largest source of air pollution in Southern California are the Ports of LA and Long Beach. Environmentalists, environmental justice advocates, and Teamsters are working together to replace offending diesel drayage trucks.
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
