Environment

Mexico City, Florida

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.

October 13, 2021 - Grist

Rendering of the proposed Liberty Canyon Wildlife Corridor

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.

October 12, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Barton Springs Greenway, Central Texas

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.

October 12, 2021 - KXAN Austin News

A sign indicates closures on the New York Subway as the result of heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.

City Council: New York Must Plan for Resilience at the Local Level

The city of New York has a new mandate for resilience planning.

October 12, 2021 - The New York Times

Houston Metro

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.

October 11, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Delivery Drone

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.

October 11, 2021 - The Conversation

Dokken is a western part of the Port of Bergen (Norway). At Dokken is the large, white Port Warehouse, in which a small brown/black building (in the center of this image) is the WWII German anti-aircraft artillery bunker (RK-ID 212746).

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.

October 8, 2021 - Fast Company

Young man cruises on by on an empty Grand Ave. in the heart of Los Angeles.

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.

October 7, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Electric Vehicle Charging

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.

October 7, 2021 - NPR

Westfield Mall Uber Drop-Off

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.

October 5, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Boston Aerial

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.

October 4, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

California Wildfire

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.

October 3, 2021 - Sacramento Bee

Washington D.C. Protest

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.

September 30, 2021 - Quartz

An image of a coal powered energy production facility along an unidentified waterway in Illinois.

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.

September 29, 2021 - Yahoo News

A fence shows a walkway to the beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

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.

September 29, 2021 - The Boston Globe

Rendering of Living Breakwaters project

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.

September 28, 2021 - The Architect's Newspaper

Trees

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.

September 27, 2021 - Vox

Aerial view of Houston Ship Channel with container ships

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.

September 24, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

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.

September 23, 2021 - National Recreation and Park Association

A Black woman works in a shop to prepare electronics for recycling..

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.

September 23, 2021 - Mark Tirpak

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.