Environment
Dust From Exposed Great Salt Lake Bed Threatens Utah’s Air Quality
The lake ended 2025 with the third-lowest water level in a century.
Trump Officials Want to Keep Coal Plants “100% Open”
While officials tout the return of coal power as the answer to the affordability crisis, critics point to America’s aging coal infrastructure as a pain point in its return.
Nevada Law Requiring Removal of ‘Useless’ Grass Has Killed 100,000 Las Vegas Trees, Lawsuit Claims
The lawsuit alleges that the removal of ornamental grass has damaged the city’s tree canopy.
The United States Exits Global Climate Change Network
Mayors from across the U.S. expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government’s decision to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Train Goes Electric
The train’s two historic diesel locomotives are being converted to electric power.
Arizona Tightens Groundwater Restrictions to Rein in Agribusinesses
The state is creating an ‘active management area’ in the western part of the state, where agribusinesses including a Saudi alfalfa exporter have practically free rein over water supplies.
EPA to Stop Considering the Cost of Lives Saved in Setting Pollution Limits
The agency will no longer quantify the monetary gains from health benefits from curbing air pollution.
California is Out of Drought for First Time in 25 Years
The state’s reservoirs are reaching capacity for the first time in decades, but more rain could prompt flooding in downstream communities.
The Overlooked Spaces That Can Prevent the Spread of Fire
The space between homes can as much as double a chance’s home of survival during a fire.
California’s Largest Reservoir Rose to 77% Capacity After Recent Rains
Almost all of the state’s reservoirs are nearing capacity after significant storms passed across the state.
Judge Says FEMA Can’t Withhold Grant Funds Under ‘Arbitrary and Capricious’ Conditions
The decision favors a coalition of 12 states that sued the Trump administration over new conditions for disaster recovery and emergency relief funds.
Planetizen’s Top Posts of 2025
The most-read articles on Planetizen in 2025.
Florida Highway Will Include Wireless EV Charging Segment
The roadway uses magnetic coils to transfer power to EVs, potentially reducing the need for bulky batteries.
Inside the Initiative to Protect Lake George by Reducing Road Salt
Ten years after launching a plan to cut salt pollution, Lake George is seeing results, and the model is spreading across the country and beyond.
Santa Cruz’s Surf Breaks Under Threat From Climate Change and Coastal Erosion
The Northern California surf haven could lose its iconic waves as projects designed to protect coastal infrastructure alter its coastline.
Trump Administration Could Give SpaceX Nearly 800 Acres of Wildlife Refuge in South Texas Land Deal
A proposed land exchange would give the company over 700 acres of coastal land.
New Jersey Buyout Program Turns Flood-Prone Properties Into Green Buffer Zones
For 30 years, The Blue Acres program has offered homeowners in high-risk flood zones the chance to relocate, preserving land as open space.
Deadline Nears for Colorado River Water Sharing Agreement
Water officials from the seven Colorado River Basin states are still at odds over how to manage dwindling water resources as current regulations are set to expire in February.
USDOT Cancels Over $100 Million in Sustainable Transportation Funds for Colorado
The administration is pulling funding for what it calls “woke” and “redundant” clean energy projects including EV charging infrastructure.
Winter Road Salt is Making Waterways Toxic to Wildlife
Salt used to clear streets is accumulating in local creeks and rivers and seeping into groundwater, contaminating fresh water supplies.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
planning NEXT
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
