Environment

Florida Home Insurance Prices Increasingly a Burden for Residents
Climate change is coming for the state of Florida, and it’s already showing up in the insurance market.

Data-Driven Effort to Re-envision Conservation and Prioritize Vulnerable Communities
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+), which focuses on environmental conservation and restoration, regional recreation, and rural recreation.

The Year in Public Lands
Public policy decisions that will impact land and water conservation in the American West.

Want to Swim in the Potomac? Army Corps to Study the Possibility
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could soon study how to legalize swimming in the rivers around the nation’s capital—a scenario that would have seemed impossible in the not-too-distant past.

Chicago To Issue Climate Resilience Grants
Small businesses and nonprofits are eligible for a $5 million fund designed to help the city reach its emissions reduction goals.

Oregon to End Sales of Gas-Powered Vehicles by 2035
There must be something about having a coast on the Pacific Ocean that makes states set policies to accelerate the end of the internal combustion engine.

L.A. ‘Wildlife Ordinance’ to Protect Biodiversity With Zoning Changes
The Los Angeles City Planning Commission recently approved a new Wildlife Ordinance. The City Council will make the final decision about the ordinance’s approval.

How Climate Change Threatens Manufactured Housing
A key supply of low-cost housing is under threat from extreme weather, rising sea levels, and other impacts of climate change.

Historic Conservation Agreement Reached on Last Day of COP15
The international framework pledges to protect 30 percent of land and water by 2030, but critics say it doesn’t go far enough to address the urgency of biodiversity loss and climate change.

Paris to Ban Short-Haul Flights to Reduce Emissions
The country of France has been cleared by the European Union to ban specific air travel routes from the Orly Airport near Paris.

Identifying and Improving Schools Most In Need of Greening
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has developed an index to help identify the schools that are most in need of greening resources.

GAO Decision Makes it Easier for States to Spend Federal Infrastructure on Roads
An attempt by the Biden administration to control new infrastructure dollars has been foiled by the Congressional Review Act.

Planning Year in Review 2022: Downtowns, Transportation, Climate Change
Part two of a review of the major themes, debates, and events of the year in planning that was 2022.

Southern California Water District Declares Drought Emergency
State water officials say the region’s agencies will only receive 5 percent of their requested supplies for the start of 2023 due to intense drought conditions that continue to sap western water supplies.

Is Sprawl the Only Answer to High Housing Costs?
A recent article argues that sprawl is the solution to high housing costs, pointing out that low-density Sunbelt cities are more affordable than some more compact metro areas. What's wrong with this argument?

Colorado Reservoir Project Clears Final Permit Hurdle
Though opponents of the massive water diversion project plan to keep fighting in court, the permit issued this month is a major success for a plan almost 20 years in the works.

Superfund Project to Deliver Massive Water Supply Boon to Los Angeles
The semi-arid region of Los Angeles is often mistaken for a desert, but the local water supply is also constrained by the environmental sins of the 20th century. The water supply equation of Los Angeles will soon change, however.

Seattle Mayor Calls for ‘Low-Pollution Neighborhoods’
An executive order signed last week consolidates actions the city plans to take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Active and Micro Mobility Modes Can Provide Cost-Effective Emission Reductions–If We Let Them
What role can active and micro modes (walking, bicycling, e-bikes and their variants) play in reducing emissions? Far more than most current emission reduction plans will achieve. We can do better!

How Big Data Informs Park Planning
Data analysis and research by national organizations are helping to ensure equitable distribution and provision of parks and recreational facilities.
Pagination
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
Tyler Technologies
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