Environment

Tidal flooding at Brickell Bay Drive and 12 Street, Downtown Miami

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.

December 29, 2022 - Miami Herald

Concrete walking and biking trail winding through trees and bushes

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.

December 28, 2022 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

A small dam located in a rural location.

The Year in Public Lands

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

December 27, 2022 - High Country News

The Yards Park, in Washington, D.C.

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.

December 27, 2022 - DCist

Chicago, Illinois

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.

December 26, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

A sign reads “Sorry No Gas Today”.

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.

December 23, 2022 - The Oregonian

Rattlesnakes

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.

December 22, 2022 - Los Angeles Department of City Planning

Flooded street in a mobile home community

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.

December 22, 2022 - Nexus Media

View from half underwater and half above water in mangrove forest in Indonesia with red starfish on coral

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.

December 21, 2022 - CNBC

The exterior of a terminal at Orly Airport in France, with a large graphic that reads “Orly 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.

December 21, 2022 - Yahoo News

A school blacktop is viewed from bird’s eye view. The blacktop is adorned with painting and colors for games. but no children are present.

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.

December 19, 2022 - Los Angeles Unified School District

Capitol Hill

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.

December 19, 2022 - Politico Pro

Vacant boarded-up storefronts along Powell Street in San Francisco, California.

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.

December 19, 2022 - James Brasuell

Aerial view of California Squeduct snaking past housing developments in the Mojave Desert

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.

December 16, 2022 - Associated Press via Yahoo News

Arizona Sprawl

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?

December 15, 2022 - Michael Lewyn

Shallow river with tree-lined banks and hillsides in the background

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.

December 15, 2022 - The Denver Post

A map showing the extent of the San Fernando Valley Groundwater Basin in the northern reach of the city fo Los Angeles, along with a few other, smaller, adjacent groundwater basins.

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.

December 14, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Mount Rainier

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.

December 14, 2022 - The Urbanist

London Bikes

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!

December 13, 2022 - Todd Litman

Playground

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.

December 12, 2022 - On Common Ground

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.