Environment

It's Time for National Cool Communities Standards
Cities are hotter because of the way we build them, and they could be cooler if we built them differently.

What Are Exurbs?
Farther out than suburbs but still connected to a major urban center, exurbs lie at the ever-shifting border between urban and rural spaces and are defined by economic ties to a city, low density housing, and high population growth.

Visualizing the Western Drought
Lower-than-average rainfall and reduced snowpacks have led to one of the driest and most dangerous fire seasons in history.

The Biden Administration's Ambiguous Position on Drilling in Alaska
The administration's support of a Conoco-Phillips project is at odds with its suspension of Trump-era oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Wildfire Recovery for the Nation's Largest Urban Park
The National Park Service is seeking public comments on the redevelopment of sites within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that were burned in the 2018 Woolsey Fire.

8 Cities Taking Steps Toward Waste Reduction and Sustainability
These eight cities are taking steps to reduce waste and achieve sustainability of their metropolitan areas. Keep reading to learn more.

Inland Empire City Pauses New Gas Station Development
The reasons for a ten-month moratorium on gas station development in the city of Rancho Cucamonga portend a major shift in transportation and land use priorities in the near future.

Denver Voters Will Weigh Open Space Development
Two competing initiatives seek to change city regulations for residential and commercial development on the city's parklands and open spaces.

Senate Democrats Consider $6 Trillion Infrastructure Package
In contrast to the $1.2 trillion Senate bipartisan infrastructure proposal, Senate Democrats are discussing a massive package that is more of a budget resolution than an infrastructure bill, designed to pass with 51 votes on reconciliation.

Dallas City Council Approves Urban Forest Master Plan
The plan seeks to mitigate the effects of urban heat islands by preserving and growing the city's tree canopy.

Will Planners Lead the New Urban Agenda?
The United Nation’s New Urban Agenda has created a playbook for planning advocates. It opens possibilities for building inclusive, integrated urban planning in countries where planning has been top-down and limited in scope.

Sunday Fun: The Bicycle Powered Car
Mounting a tandem bike to the front of a Honda to generate the power to operate the car has never looked so fun.

Lawsuit by Malibu Wineries Challenges Ban on New Vineyards
A coalition of winemakers claims that the county ignored CEQA requirements in instituting a blanket ban on new vineyards in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Mapping Environmental Justice Hotspots
A new map of Virginia illustrates the stark contrasts in pollution burdens depending on location.

The Big Taboo of the Senate's Bipartisan Infrastructure Proposal
Ten bipartisan senators have proposed a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure deal with no new taxes, but it does include indexing the current gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, unchanged in 28 years, to inflation, thus potentially increasing gas prices.

The Changing Risks of Coastal Communities
An excerpt from "A Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation: Uniting Design, Economics, and Policy," published in May by Island Press.

Return of the National Parks
After more than a year of COVID-19-related restrictions and limited travel, rising attendance figures across national parks show Americans are eager to explore the great outdoors.

Nevada Bans the Use of Colorado River Water for Ornamental Grass
AB 356 could be "the most aggressive municipal water conservation measure that's been taken in the western United States."

15 of the 'Worst Highways in America'
The Congress for the New Urbanism's "Freeways Without Future 2021" report leverages the current political moment by spotlighting 15 U.S highways for removal.

Miami Residents Resist the Idea of a 20-Foot Seawall
As climate change accelerates sea level rise and flooding in South Florida, locals hope to mitigate the impacts with less dramatic interventions.
Pagination
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