Environment
Energy Department Resumes Loan Program with Hydrogen Storage
The Energy Department's loan office, known for a bad loan to the solar panel startup Solyndra in 2011, will loan $504 million to a company that will use renewable energy to create 'green hydrogen' and store it in salt caverns in Utah.
Judge Blocks Minneapolis 2040 Implementation, Citing Lack of Environmental Review
Environmentalists have used the power of the legal system to protect the car-centric status quo of single-family zoning once again, overturning a landmark planning innovation in Minneapolis.
D.C. Region Sets Goal to Reduce GHG Emissions From Transportation 50% by 2030
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the D.C. region—and the rest of the country. The D.C. region is committing to drastic actions to change their ways, however.
Fighting for Their Future: Hawai’i Kids Sue State Over Greenhouse Gas Emissions
A group of Hawai’ian youth is suing the state’s Department of Transportation, claiming that Hawai’i’s transportation system contributes to climate change and the destruction of homes and cultural traditions.
Restoring Degraded Lands to Advance Park Equity and Environmental Justice
The restoration of degraded lands, including properties occupied by abandoned, redundant, or unwanted infrastructure, is of great importance in Los Angeles County where numerous underserved communities are plagued with environmental burdens.
How Goats Aid in Wildfire Prevention
Grazing goats can quickly and effectively clear steep or hard-to-reach hillsides of invasive, fire-fueling vegetation.
Are Urban Planners Staying Silent on Climate Gentrification?
Holmdel, New Jersey, moved its affordable housing to flood-prone land, raising a question about planners' ethical obligations to speak up against such moves.
Desalination and Water Recycling Needed to Increase Bay Area Water Supply
In an ongoing drought exacerbated by climate change, the Bay Area needs to look toward two technologies to secure adequate drinking water supply: desalination and wastewater recycling, according to an analysis by the San Francisco Examiner.
Spokane To Implement Drought Response Ordinance
The city council voted to override a veto of the ordinance by the mayor, enacting new water conservation measures.
Californians Could Get a Tax Credit for Not Owning Cars
The bill’s sponsors say it’s only fair to extend tax relief to Californians who don’t own cars as the state aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and decrease driving.
Declining Water Levels Trigger ‘Stage 1’ Drought Response in Austin
The effects of the megadrought in the American Southwest are reaching into Texas.
Funding Urban Climate Justice
The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund stands out as an example of local grassroots climate action—in this case, the kind of action that makes other climate projects and programs possible.
Depave Paradise: Reclaiming Parking Lots for Park Space
The promoters of a new park hope to provide a model for how replacing surface parking lots with green space can mitigate urban heat and boost urban biodiversity.
Study: Cutting U.S. Emissions by 50 Percent This Decade Is Possible
With coordinated effort at the local, state, and federal levels, the United States could meet its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
How Rotterdam’s Green Rooftops Fight Urban Heat
An elevated park in Rotterdam shows how green roofs can cool cities and create public parks in tight quarters.
Take a Walk at the Hollywood Bowl
Few people are aware that the iconic concert venue is also a public park where visitors can walk around and exercise.
No Connection Between Gardens and Gentrification in Detroit, Study Says
Research from late 2021 documented the footprint of urban gardens in Detroit, finding evidence of inequities but not gentrification.
Communities Near Warehouses Unprotected by Outdated Zoning Codes
Today’s massive modern distribution centers have outsized impacts on adjacent neighborhoods. But outdated zoning codes often let them slip through the cracks with no environmental review.
Drought Renews Momentum for $4 Billion Reservoir Project in California
Bipartisan political support, billions in state and federal funding, and an unrelenting drought are creating momentum for the Sites Reservoir project in California's northern Central Valley.
California State Parks Awards $57 million to Improve Access to the Outdoors
To advance the state's "Outdoors for All" initiative, the park agency is providing funding to 125 low-income urban and rural communities.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
