Environment

FEMA Flood Insurance Updates Reflect Actual Risk to Each Home
Changes to how FEMA calculates flood risk will assess risk at a home-by-home level, rather than estimating the same risk to all homes in the same floodplain.

New Wildlife Bridge Coming to Los Angeles County
Construction of the $87-million wildlife crossing on the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills will begin in 2022.

Central Texas Town Approves New Trail Network
Kyle trail master plan will tie into a 100-mile Central Texas network connecting greenways in the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone.

City Council: New York Must Plan for Resilience at the Local Level
The city of New York has a new mandate for resilience planning.

Federal Dollars Could Pave the Way for Greener, More Equitable Infrastructure
Houston's director of Transportation and Drainage Operations wants to see more sustainable development in the city that has historically depended on freeways as its critical infrastructure.

The Hidden Costs of Drone Delivery
Ultra-fast drone delivery promises convenience, but comes at a high cost for workers, the environment, and public space.

Norwegian City Plans for Zero-Emissions Neighborhood
As it winds down port operations in the area, Bergen plans to transform its Dokken district from a busy shipping hub to a car-free, 'regenerative' zone.

Climate Action: As Simple as Riding an E-Bike
A new e-bike credit, if coupled with improved bike safety infrastructure, could encourage many Americans to replace short car trips with e-bike rides, reducing emissions and congestion.

Five Midwest States to Develop EV Charging Network
The governors hope the agreement will create jobs, reduce emissions, and encourage more widespread adoption of electric vehicles in their states.

Study: Uber and Lyft Trips Cost the Planet More Than Trips in Personal Vehicles
The cost of 'deadheading'–the time ride-hailing drivers spend looking for fares–offsets any environmental benefits created by the industry, despite early claims that the apps would reduce congestion and air pollution.

Big Boston Buildings Must Be Carbon Neutral by 2050
The Boston City Council approved a new ordinance would eliminate emissions from the 4 percent of the buildings responsible for 60 percent of the city's building emissions.

California Bans Insurance Companies From Dropping Homeowners in Wildfire Zones
The one-year moratorium is a stopgap measure to assist homeowners affected by recent wildfires as the state assesses ways of addressing the root causes of increasingly damaging natural disasters.

Climate Change Expected to Displace 216 Million People by 2050, Report Says
The time to start preparing for mass migration spurred by climate change is already here.

Illinois Commits to Bold Climate Action
The state of Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act , which will phase fossil fuels out for energy production and position the state as a leader on equitable economic development in the clean energy sector.

Proposed Law Would Open Beach Access in Massachusetts
It's harder to access the ocean in Massachusetts than any other coastal state in the country, but that could soon change.

Staten Island's Living Breakwaters Project Breaks Ground
The coastal resiliency and biodiversity project is taking shape in Raritan Bay, an area devastated by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

How the Phoenix Tree Canopy Affects Urban Temperatures
As extreme weather intensifies, cities are using trees to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce energy consumption.

Why Texas's $29 Billion Coastal Protection Plan Is Needed
The Houston Chronicle editorial board argues for the construction of the so-called 'Ike Dike,' but warns that more investment is needed to protect the South Texas coast from future storms.
Strong Public Support for Parks and Recreation Nationwide
The latest report by the National Recreational and Park Association (NRPA) offers insights into public perception and use of parks, revealing a high level of affinity.

Curbing Electronic Waste One George Foreman Grill at a Time
An Interview with East Atlanta's CoCo The Geek, who saw an increase in household electronic waste during the Covid-19 pandemic and decided to do something about it.
Pagination
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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.
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