Environment
The Undeniable Link Between Redlining and Extreme Heat in American Cities
The country’s history of racist and segregationist housing policies is affecting vulnerable low-income communities of color that are bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.
EPA Completes Rollback of Obama-Era Methane Regulations
The new rules are significantly less stringent in mandating repair of methane leaks and regulation of emissions.
Tolling All Freeway Lanes in the Bay Area?
What's more surprising is seeing who is making the proposal and why. The first step would be to have the concept included in Plan Bay Area 2050.
The Sounds of Cities: Three Aural Vignettes
Monocle's The Urbanist podcast explores urban acoustic ecology to unveil the sonic signature of the coronavirus pandemic, the Greek island of Corfu, and Vienna streetscapes.
Better Planning Needed to Address Effects of Urban Heat Island in Hong Kong
A recent study reveals the detrimental impact of hot nights compared to hot days, with the region experiencing hotter summers and more hot days due to climate change and the heat island effect.
Chicago Was Already Wiping Out Trees. Then the Derecho Hit.
An Urban Forestry Board is needed in Chicago to unsure the health and safety benefits of a flourishing urban forest.
The Cost of Sea-Level Rise Measured in Tens of Billions in California
A new report summarizes the impact rising sea levels would have on California residents, businesses, and infrastructure. The effects would be catastrophic for the San Francisco Bay Area.
Challenging the Permitting Record of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
Zoning in the U.S. was originally intended to keep noxious uses out of residential areas. Around Houston, which famously lacks a traditional zoning system, polluting uses are still granted broad permission to operate in residential areas.
Seeing the Los Angeles River in Whole New Way
We seem to have an app for everything. Now we have one that walks a viewer through the river’s history from the pre-historic era to the present.
Book Review: Discovering Griffith Park
There is finally a guidebook for one of the country's largest city parks. Learn more about it in this L.A. Times review.
Plan to Auction Oil Drilling Rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Finalized
The Trump administration has a new signature achievement, in finalizing a plan to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.
Resilient Los Angeles: Preparing for Overlapping Disasters in Pandemic
L.A. City Chief Resilience Officer Aaron Gross elaborates on how the pandemic is shaping the city’s understanding of resilience and the cascading impact that overlapping disasters of earthquake or wildfire could have on the city’s limited resources.
Advocates: It's Time to Get Back on Transit
The story about the safety of public transit has changed since the early days of the pandemic.
Bogotá Commits to the Bicycle
Colombia's capital city, the birthplace of the Ciclovía, is devoting public space to bikes during lockdown. To reduce traffic, the city plans to allocate even more public space to bike infrastructure and sustainable mobility moving forward.
Imagine Honolulu Without its Beaches
Beaches and parks on Oahu are closed to the public once again as the city attempts to control the spread of COVID-19.
Can Planners Advance Environmental Justice When Rebuilding Existing Locally Unwanted Land Uses?
Miriam Solis, of the University of Texas at Austin, writes about a recent article she authored in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.
Planning for an Equitable Economic Recovery
The Seattle Planning Commission recently published a report titled "A Racially Equitable and Resilient Recovery."
The Cost of COVID Carbon Reduction: $3,200-$5,400 a Ton
The short-term environmental effects of the pandemic economic downturn are clear in the amount of carbon emissions that have been removed from the economy. The long-term effects, however, are subject to a number of contingencies.
Transitioning from Climate Justice Planning to Climate Justice Action
The Providence Climate Justice Plan offers an exemplary approach to prioritizing the communities and neighborhoods most impacted by the environmental effects of development and industrial pollution.
Limiting Sidewalk Gatherings to Limit the Spread of Coronavirus
Pedestrians in Arlington County, Virginia can be fined for gathering on sidewalks in groups larger than three.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie
