Environment

Texas Grid Operator to Be Investigated by Congressional Subcommittee
Texas' costliest natural disaster will be the subject of a congressional investigation by a House Oversight subcommittee thanks to Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is concerned about ERCOT's lack of preparation for extreme winter weather.

Meet Some of New York City's Newest Parks
In a city where density is everything, these park projects make creative use of existing public spaces—and, in some cases, create their own.

Tracking Resilient Houston's Progress
The Resilient Houston initiative promises to strengthen the city's infrastructure and increase its capacity to thrive and adapt under crisis.

California City the First to Ban New Gas Stations
With the state mandating a switch to electric vehicles by 2035, Petaluma is aligning its land use regulations with its climate goals.

New Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Targets Health Inequities
A new Regional Plan Association initiative is assessing potential solutions to historic inequities in planning policy.

Environmentalists Object to California Desalination Plan
Critics of a controversial desalination project planned for Orange County claim Governor Newsom is pressuring officials to support the plant in spite of environmental concerns.

U.S. DOT Grant Program to Allocate Funds for Climate and Environmental Justice Projects
The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program will, for the first time, support projects aimed specifically at reducing emissions and fighting the effects of climate change and environmental racism.

Arizona Water Rights No Longer 'Use it or Lose it'
A bill approved with bipartisan support by the Arizona State Legislature offers new incentives for water conservation.

New River Gorge is America's Newest National Park
The 72,000-acre West Virginia gem joins an illustrious list as the 63rd U.S. national park.

Boston-to-New York High-Speed Rail Project Hopes for Federal Support
If completed, the North Atlantic Rail project could transform New England's transportation landscape.

Still No Flying Cars: The Underwhelming Progress of Autonomous Vehicles
While we're still far from a Jetsons-style reality, understated autonomous features could be the key to safer transportation.

The Importance of Botanical Gardens
During the COVID-19 pandemic, public gardens like the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden have become very popular destinations, serving as places of respite and recreation for a weary public.

Atlanta Weighs 'Midtown Connector' Freeway Cap
The billion-dollar project would create a 25-acre park and 3.5 miles of new bike and pedestrian routes.

Blaming ERCOT
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the nonprofit, independent power grid operator for 90 percent of the nation's second-largest state, has become the convenient fall guy for the epic power failure caused by an extreme weather event.

U.S. Officially Rejoins the Paris Climate Accord
Rejoining the international climate accord is the first step into a long journey back into the good faith of the international community working to curb emissions and prevent the worst effects of climate change.

Where the Ground Sinks Under the Weight of Development
New research documents how the weight of buildings causes the ground to sink underneath developments in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Watch: Electric Cars and the Grid
The YouTube channel Engineering Explained takes on one of the big questions in a post-fossil-fuel transportation future.

Sharpsburg Ecodistrict the World's Third EcoDistricts Certified Community
The Sharpsburg Ecodistrict in Pennsylvania has been recognized with EcoDistrict Certification, joining Millvale and Etna to become the third certified community in Southwestern Pennsylvania's Triboro Ecodistrict—and the world.

California-Style Rolling Blackouts Come to Texas
As bad as the power outages are in Texas, they would be much worse if the independent energy grid operator hadn't initiated rolling blackouts. In an extensive interview with CBS Austin, Bill Magness, the head of ERCOT, explains what went wrong.

Haves and Have Nots: Planning and the Deep Divides of the Pandemic
The latest in a series of compendia gathering news and analysis about the effects of the COVID-19 on the built and natural environments—now and long into the future.
Pagination
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions