Environment

beach Parking

The Inequities of Beach Access

Over 80% of Californians live within an hour’s drive of a beach, but that does not mean that everyone has easy access to beaches.

July 15, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

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

E-Bike Sales are Booming in the U.K. and U.S.

As more people buy e-bikes for regular commuting and transportation, cycling advocates are calling for cities to beef up investment in safe infrastructure.

July 15, 2021 - Treehugger

Los Angeles Skyline

New Study Ranks the Urban Heat Island Effect in U.S. Cities

A new analysis by Climate Central evaluates the intensity of urban heat islands in cities around the United States—New Orleans tops the list.

July 15, 2021 - WBUR

Los Angeles State Historic Park

Documenting L.A.'s Reclaimed Industrial Sites

Community activists across the city have fought to clean up, preserve, and enhance former industrial sites as parks, community gardens, and green spaces.

July 13, 2021 - High Country News

Atlanta Skyline

Atlanta Highway Cap Project Gets New Life

The city council voted to apply for a $1 million federal grant to study the potential benefits of building a park over downtown freeways.

July 13, 2021 - Urbanize Atlanta

The San Pedro River where it passes through Saint David, south of Benson, Arizona.

Army Corps Rescinds Permits for Massive Master Planned Community in Arizona

A plan to conjure 28,000 new homes from the landscape fed by the San Pedro River in Southern Arizona is once again on the wrong side of regulators.

July 12, 2021 - Arizona Republic

Coastal City

Surfside Collapse Highlights Florida's 'Unique Vulnerabilities'

A coastal geologist urges state leaders and residents to start planning for 'managed retreat' away from the coastal communities most vulnerable to sea level rise.

July 12, 2021 - Grist

Venice Beach Coronavirus

APA Recognizes Los Angeles County's Sustainability Plan

The American Planning Association (APA) has honored Los Angeles County with the Award of Excellence in Sustainability for the 2019 OurCounty Sustainability Plan.

July 9, 2021 - County of Los Angeles

Open Space

Assessing Biden's '30 by 30' Conservation Plan

The president's ambitious commitment to protect 30% of U.S. land and water by 2030 might be too broad in attempting to satisfy all land users.

July 9, 2021 - High Country News

Chicago, Illinois

What Makes a High Quality Park?

A new report can help park developers and managers assess quality, park by park and systemwide, to make investments and address disparities in access to high quality parks.

July 8, 2021 - Urban Land Institute

HART Rail Honolulu

Ideas for Urban Resilience

Five experts reflect on developing trends and future possibilities for resilience in Honolulu and other cities.

July 7, 2021 - Hawaii Business Magazine

Chicago, Illinois

This Map Shows Tree Inequality Across Neighborhoods

A new mapping tool visualizes the unequal distribution of urban trees in U.S. cities.

July 7, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

MARTA Station

How to Attract Post-Pandemic Transit Riders

After seeing dramatic cuts in service and ridership during the pandemic, transit agencies have a small window of opportunity to gain and retain regular passengers.

July 7, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Los Angeles, California

A New Approach to Park Equity

A new approach prioritizes investments in the capacity of people closest to the problem to achieve population-level impacts.

July 6, 2021 - Prevention Institute

Houston Texas

Harris County Will Use Toll Road Revenue to Pay for Flood Control

A new Flood Resilience Trust will create a permanent source of funding for flood control purposes, but the county still faces a shortfall for planned projects.

July 6, 2021 - Houston Chronicle

Colorado River megadrought

House Bill Would Invest Up to $750 Million in Wastewater Recycling Projects

HR 4099, which recently passed a House subcommittee, would create a new pool of money for 17 western states to use for new wastewater recycling capacity.

July 5, 2021 - Congresswoman Grace F Napolitano

Traffic on road at Midway Geyser Basin

Parks Overwhelmed by Record Numbers of Visitors

Already understaffed and underfunded, the agencies that manage state and national parks are struggling to keep up with the spike in demand for outdoor recreation over the past year.

July 4, 2021 - High Country News

Trees

'Tiny Forests' Take Hold in Urban Centers

A movement to plant small patches of plants in urban neighborhoods is taking off in Europe and Asia as cities work to mitigate the effects of climate change and provide increased access to green space.

July 2, 2021 - National Geographic

Bus Stop

How Bad Transit Encourages Car Ownership

The lack of robust public transit networks in many U.S. cities reduces access to opportunity and drives those who can afford it to buy private vehicles.

July 1, 2021 - Gizmodo

A view of the Pacific Ocean and California coastline from high in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Taking Care of the Santa Monica Mountains

Learn more about the Resource Conservation District which promotes land stewardship and resource conservation in the mountains through habitat restoration, planning, research, and education.

July 1, 2021 - Malibu Times

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.