Environment
The 'Greening' of Wal-Mart?
Recent attempts to "greenwash" Wal-Mart in the media don't hold water, write Ruben Garcia and Andrea Buffa.
Can Land Use Planning Save The World?
At their annual conference, California's planners are obsessed with global warming.
South American Economic Unification May Threaten Amazon
A new report warns that unless proper precautions are take, a plan to unite South American economies through transportation and infrastructure projects could result in widespread destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
People Power, Corporations and 'Site Fights'
Corporations have long been able to use regulatory instruments and the courts to override community interests to gain access to resources or to site noxious land uses. Now communities are fighting back.
Brazil's Carbon Credit Deal May Kickstart Market
Sao Paulo, Brazil, has recently brokered the first regulated stock sale of carbon credits, collecting more than $18 million in exchange for credits covering nearly 1 million tons of carbon emissions. This may lay the foundation for a carbon market.
Carbon Control From The Sea
World-renowned environment experts have proposed a system of huge tubes placed in the world's oceans that would cycle nutrients to encourage booms in the population of algae -- organisms that naturally consume and sequester carbon.
Is LEED's Success Demeaning Its Value?
The U.S. Green Building Council's green building certification system LEED has become the industry standard in recent years, but is the system's intended goal of encouraging environmentally-friendly buildings being limited by its success?
Rapid Growth Dries Up Water Supplies
Rapid growth and expansion are bringing economic prosperity to the Chinese city of Shijiazhuang, but it is steadily swallowing the area's water supplies.
PM Brown Boosts Eco-Town Efforts
New British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced plans to double the development of carbon-conscious "eco-towns" in an effort to reduce the country's emissions and expand its strained housing stock.
Could Planning Decisions Form A New Climate Change Policy?
Land use, housing location, and the "everyday decisions" of planners are the backbone of a new way of looking at climate change policy, according to this article from the Los Angeles Times.
Schools To Be Built Near Freeways Despite Health Threat
Recent studies have shown that locating homes and schools near freeways increases the rate of asthma and other diseases in children, but the Los Angeles Unified School District has plans for 7 more school within 500 feet of freeways.
Questions Surround L.A.'s Tree-Planting Plan
The city of Los Angeles has announced a plan to plant 1 million trees in the next few years, and though the city has been successful in giving many trees away to people with the intention of planting them, no one is sure how many of them are planted.
Building Green -- Retroactively
Across the country, an emerging trend is seeing existing and older buildings being retrocommissioned as environmentally-friendly structures. Nearly 500 are awaiting LEED certification.
Hoteliers Announce Plan To Alter Waikiki's 'Unnatural' Beach
Plans to expand the amount of beach available in front of two hotels in Honolulu are meeting opposition from local surfers and environmentalists. But some say the beach has already been engineered beyond its natural state and more won't hurt.
Corps Of Engineers Taking Heat For Ineffective Project
An Army Corps of Engineers project intended to save a Missouri town from flooding by draining a massive wetland has been identified as an ineffective plan. The Corps and its political supporters are under fire for pushing overly expensive projects.
Putting The 'Park' Back In Parking
Park(ing) Day takes off in cities across America in an effort to raise awareness of the shortage of public parks in urban areas, and to highlight the amount of miles and gallons of gas wasted by drivers looking for parking spots.
Greenhouse gas emissions will be limited on Harvard's new Allston camopus
Harvard’s voluntary agreement is the first in the nation to legally bind a developer to reducing greenhouse gases beyond the current standards.
Report Says Sprawl Will Offset Any Reductions In Auto Emissions
A new report from the Urban Land Institute says that even with increased fuel efficiency in cars, an increasing rate of vehicle miles traveled due to sprawling development will counteract any reductions in emissions.
Bill Seeks Fast-Track Approval For Emissions-Reducing Projects
A bill being pushed in the California State Senate looks to ease the approval of developments that reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- part of an effort to help the state reach its goal of 25% in reductions by 2020.
To Halt Climate Change, Planners Need To Help People Drive Less
New vehicle technology won't prevent global warming unless urban sprawl is curbed, argues a new book to be published by the Urban Land Institute.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
