Whether climate change 'caused' the California fires is a red herring, argues disaster resiliency expert Dave Hampton, in this first part in a series on lessons from the California fires about climate change.

Media reporting on the relationship between the recent devastating wild fires in California and climate change have demonstrated the confusion between attribution and contribution. While disasters like fires can never be directly attributed to climate change, Dave Hampton, a natural disaster resiliency specialist, argues there is little doubt climate change is:
. . . creating the preconditions for them to occur or to be more intense or prolonged – such as the higher winds and an overall drier season that have driven the Skirball and Thomas fires, threatening nearly 200,000 acres in California . . . [The] point is, rather, not to get too hung up on causation for particular events, but rather to acknowledge the changing climate as a driver and contributor to making natural events events such as wildfires, droughts, and flooding more severe.
Accordingly, planning for the 'wildland-urban interface' will require heightened and more proactive measures than in the past. For more, see source article.
FULL STORY: Lessons from the California Fires: Climate Change Impacts and Proactive Planning (part 1)

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

America’s Best New Bike Lanes
PeopleForBikes highlights some of the most exciting new bike infrastructure projects completed in 2022.

Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.

L.A. County Towns Clash Over Homelessness Policies
Local governments often come to different conclusions about how to address homelessness within their respective borders, but varying approaches only exacerbate the problem.

A Mixed-Use Vision for Houston Landfill Site
A local nonprofit is urging the city to consider adding mixed-use development to the site, which city officials plan to turn into a stormwater detention facility.

Milwaukee County Makes Substantial Progress on Homelessness
In 2022, the county’s point-in-time count of unhoused people reflected just 18 individuals, the lowest in the country.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
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.