Environment
Unique Open Space Sales Tax Measure Attempts To Be Renewed
A quarter cent sales tax measure, which has raised $200 million since 1990 and preserved 70,000 acres of open space, may be put before the voters of Santa Rosa, CA, in November for early re-authorization.
Will Sprawl Fee Spread To The Bay Area?
The Bay Area's Air Quality District is awaiting the outcome of the building industry's litigation against the country's first regulation of "indirect sources" in California's heavily polluted Central Valley.
Is Organic Food Always Sustainable?
As the demand for organic foods increases, suppliers are importing crops from overseas, calling into question some of the environmental benefits.
London's Mayor Targeting Gas Guzzling Vehicles
Mayor Ken Livingston is proposing raising the city's congestion charge for SUVs to £25, while providing discounts for low-emissions vehicles.
Greenest American Roofs Are In Chicago
Filling empty Chicago rooftops with plants seemed a little strange six years ago when Mayor Richard Daley installed a garden on the roof of city hall. But now more than 200 buildings in Chicago boast rooftop gardens, and the trend is spreading.
Californians May Soon Be Cooking With Cow Power
With the largest dairy herds in the U.S., California could generate up to 5% of its natural gas from cow manure.
Will Tampa Be The Next New Orleans?
A University of South Florida professor predicts that a hurricane with similar intensity as Katrina would cause even greater devastation to Tampa Bay than was experienced by New Orleans in 2005.
Planning for Good Health
Sacramento's MPO thinks it's time to re-establish the old link between public health and city planning. But is smart growth really healthier? And whose responsibility is it to build healthy cities anyways?
U.S. Population Goes Coastal
Every day 1,500 new homes rise along the U.S. coastline. National Geographic asks, "Are America's coastlines are in danger of being loved to death?"
How To Make Melbourne The Most Livable Again
Architects, artists, urban planners, developers, designers and historians comment on the world's formerly most livable city, why it's lost the title and how to can reclaim it.
The Greening Of The U.S. Building Industry
National Public Radio's Chris Arnold tracks how the green building movement is sweeping the construction industry in the United States.
Bjorn Lomborg's Latest Global Warming Experiment
The WSJ's Kimberly Strassel interviews Bjorn Lomborg on his latest economic exercise -- asking eight U.N. ambassadors to prioritize global projects. Global warming ends up at the bottom. Again.
Landmark Years In U.S. Environmental History
Richard A. Cellarius, past president of the Sierra Club, lists five landmark years in the nation's environmental history.
Global Warming Linked To Forest Fires
Findings from a new study indicate that the increasing number of forest fires in the West may be due to global warming.
New Water Limits Could Halt Development
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is setting new limits on how much water can be used by towns in the Charles River watershed, drastically altering the development plans of many towns.
Can We Conserve Our Way Out of Global Warming?
Robert Samuelson questions whether we can conserve our way out of global warming.
Friday Funny: Could A Goldfish Survive In Water From L.A. River?
The Los Angeles Times sets up a Goldfish cam and two goldfish -- Little Antonio and Little Ed -- named after the mayor and a city councilman) to see if fish can live in a tank filled with water from the Los Angeles River.
9 Tips For Achieving Energy Independence
A North Carolina based weekly has published a helpful list of ways for residents to reduce their energy consumption.
A Model For Eco-friendly Development
A visionary development plan promises transit villages, solar energy, local farms, water recycling, sensitive architecture, and walkable neighborhoods. Will it be a model for other communities seeking eco-friendly development?
Seasonal Workers Hit The Hay
A farmworker advocacy group is working with Virginia farmers to provide housing for the seasonal workers that tend their fields. Houses made of hay are the affordable and energy-efficient solution to this need for seasonal housing.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
