Environment

Climate Resilience Planning

'Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency' Wins Planning Commission Approval in NYC

Emergency responses to Hurricane Sandy have turned into long-term lessons in New York City, as the nation's largest city crafts a response to sea-level rise and extreme weather by making changes to the zoning code of coastal areas.

March 19, 2021 - Commercial Observer

San Francisco Street

Opinion: High-Rises Won't Sink San Francisco

The weight of large buildings may not be a major threat to coastal cities, despite recent claims.

March 16, 2021 - San Francisco Chronicle

Levee

Louisiana's $50 Billion Coastal Restoration Plan Moves Forward

A $50 billion plan to replenish lost coastal land could have significant impacts on local marine life and fishing industries.

March 11, 2021 - The New York Times

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Industry Wins a Round Over Building Efficiency Requirements

New regulations prohibit cities from enacting stricter efficiency standards in new buildings.

March 11, 2021 - Huffington Post

Wind farm and greenhouse gas farm, together

Can Emissions Reductions Last Beyond the Pandemic?

The dramatic reductions in carbon emissions during the last year only highlight how drastically humans must change behavior to meet climate goals.

March 10, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle Protest

Stories of Resilience From 2020

A year of intense challenges also offers a chance to break from the unsustainable, inequitable status quo.

March 10, 2021 - Island Press

Santa Monica Bay

Santa Monica Institutes 'Zero-Emissions Delivery Zone'

A new pilot program in Santa Monica aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a testing ground for new technologies.

March 9, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Symmetry

The Surprisingly Important Role of Symmetry in Healthy Places

New research suggests there might be a "symmetry deficit disorder" in today's built environments, with significant impacts on health, well-being, and even sustainability.

March 8, 2021 - Michael Mehaffy

Polar Vortex

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.

March 7, 2021 - The Texas Tribune

Esplanade at Battery Park

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.

March 7, 2021 - Urbanize New York

Downtown Houston

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.

March 5, 2021 - Rice Kinder Institute for Urban Research

Gas Stations

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.

March 3, 2021 - The Press Democrat

Piedmont Park Atlanta

New Healthy Regions Planning Exchange Targets Health Inequities

A new Regional Plan Association initiative is assessing potential solutions to historic inequities in planning policy.

March 2, 2021 - Regional Plan Association

Desalination Plant Australia

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.

March 1, 2021 - Los Angeles Times

Salt Lake City, TRAX Red Line

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.

February 28, 2021 - TechCrunch

Scottsdale, Arizona

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.

February 28, 2021 - Arizona Public Media

View of New River Gorge Bridge

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.

February 25, 2021 - The New York Times

Train platform

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.

February 25, 2021 - Bloomberg CityLab

Self-driving minibus

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.

February 23, 2021 - City Monitor

Silk Floss Tree

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.

February 23, 2021 - Zocalo Public Square

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.