Environment
Forest? Fuhgettaboutit
Sicily's forests are being ravaged by fires many suspect are being set by the Mafia, who plan on reaping financial benefits when the land is rezoned for construction.
Urbanization Erasing New England Forests
Urbanization is threatening and consuming forests in New England more rapidly than in any other place in the nation.
DIY Gray Water Recycling
This report from NPR looks at a homeowner who has transformed her house's plumping to reuse its "gray water" -- non-potable water from sinks that can be rerouted into gardens and toilets. Some lawmakers are discouraging this method.
Becoming America's Most Sustainable City
U.S. cities such as Chicago, San Francisco, and Sacramento are becoming more energy efficient in an effort to attain the title of the nation's greenest city.
Will China Follow In America's Footsteps?
Scientists who studied pollution from a pair of major cities in both the U.S. and China urge the rapidly developing nation to learn from the past environmental mistakes in the U.S.
Hawaii's 'Superferry' Remains Anchored
The controversy over whether the environmental impacts of Hawaii's new "Superferry" should have been assessed continue. The large ferry boat sits idly in a harbor in Honolulu.
Hudson River to Get 24/7 Scrutiny
A new network of sensors will detail how ecological threats to the waterway affect the seacoast.
Do 'Carbon Offsets' Really Work?
Is the idea of buying "voluntary carbon offsets" to become carbon neutral more hype than solution?
'Environmental Enlightenment' By The American Roadside
Many states are choosing native plants for the 12 million acres of roadsides and median strips around the country to save on maintenance costs and provide wildlife habitat. Polls show the public prefers the appearance of non-native species.
How Seattle Commuters Outwitted the Clog That Wasn't
Seattle's free-flowing experience with more than two weeks of freeway lane closures -- predicted to be traffic Armageddon -- shows that the conventional wisdom about traffic isn't always right.
Running Low On Farmable Land
The quality of the world's soil is rapidly diminishing and many scientists are concerned that by 2050 there will not be enough arable land to grow the food to feed the steadily growing population.
More People, More Concrete, and More Heat in Phoenix
An 'urban heat island' effect, fed by the city's growth, is trapping heat and making temperatures soar.
Can Britain Go Carbon-Neutral?
This article from the Guardian looks at the feasibility of putting in place a recently-announced proposal to make Britain carbon-neutral by 2050.
Problems Plague Three Gorges Dam
Engineering and environmental problems abound near China's Three Gorges Dam.
Dry L.A. Reconsiders Wastewater Recycling Plan
Facing one of the driest years in recent history, the city of Los Angeles is feeling the pinch of the drought. Officials have suggested reconsidering a once-proposed and once-disapproved plan to recycle wastewater back into the groundwater.
Plan To Divert Brazilian River Draws Protests
Brazil is considering a bold plan to get water to its arid northeast by diverting one of the country's largest and most famous rivers. But many are protesting the plan, saying the water will mainly benefit business, not the rural poor who need it.
Got Sustainability?
When it comes to reducing carbon footprints and living sustainably, urban residents perform the best.
Trees Add To Levee Strength, But May Be Removed
Despite scientific findings that trees along levees help improve their effectiveness, federal regulations may require that trees lining levees in Central California be removed.
Beijing Traffic Pilot Program Results Mixed
The mixed results of an experiment to remove all private auto traffic from the streets of Beijing leads city officials to concede that there are no 'silver bullets' to cope with the city's air pollution during next summer's Olympics.
Lawsuit Over General Plan Ignoring Global Warming Settled
A widely watched lawsuit by California's attorney general against the state's fastest growing county over the issue of inventorying and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the update of a county general plan has been settled.
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
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
