Michael Méndez, assistant professor in the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy at the University of California, Irvine opines on California's continued struggle to implement ambitious climate goals.
The Biden administration's top priorities in its first month in office have focused on addressing the “four converging crises — COVID-19, the resulting economic crisis, climate change, and racial inequity.” The Planning Report interviewed University of California, Irvine Assistant Professor Michael Méndez—also a recent appointee to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board—about what lessons Los Angeles and California can provide to policymakers in Washington, D.C on climate action and environmental justice.
Dr. Méndez opines on California's continued struggle to implement ambitious climate goals and further elaborates on his new book Climate Change from the Streets: How Conflict and Collaboration Strengthen the Environmental Justice Movement (Yale University Press), which Bloomberg's Liam Denning notes, "should be required reading for the most committed Green New Dealers and their opponents alike."
"What we're seeing is a new era of environmentalism where ambitious policymakers have to create a new political calculus in addressing climate change, the Green New Deal, and environmental justice groups," says Méndez in the interview.
FULL STORY: UC Irvine's Michael Méndez on an Environmental Justice Agenda for 2021

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

‘Mega-Landlords’ Threaten Housing Stability for Renters
As institutional investors buy up a larger share of single-family homes, the families renting them are increasingly vulnerable to rent increases and eviction.

Zoning Stands in the Way of Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is cheap as ever, but zoning isn’t keeping up with the market.

Mixed Use Could Lower Neighborhood Crime Rates
New research shows areas with a heavy concentration of commercial offices experience 40 percent higher crime rates than neighborhoods that mix residential and commercial uses.

Denver E-Bike Rebate Program Proves Wildly Popular
The city is temporarily pausing applications after the program ran out of funds less than a month after the city announced it.
City & Borough of Juneau
City & Borough of Juneau
DMR Architects
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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