Climate change and population growth are shrinking the Great Salt Lake. The environmental consequences are dire.

The Great Salt Lake has shrunk in size by two-thirds. Christopher Flavelle reports for the New York Times of the dire environmental consequences of that trend continuing until the lake is gone:
The lake’s flies and brine shrimp would die off — scientists warn it could start as soon as this summer — threatening the 10 million migratory birds that stop at the lake annually to feed on the tiny creatures. Ski conditions at the resorts above Salt Lake City, a vital source of revenue, would deteriorate. The lucrative extraction of magnesium and other minerals from the lake could stop.
There’s more:
Most alarming, the air surrounding Salt Lake City would occasionally turn poisonous. The lake bed contains high levels of arsenic and as more of it becomes exposed, wind storms carry that arsenic into the lungs of nearby residents, who make up three-quarters of Utah’s population.
Joel Ferry, a Republican state lawmaker and rancher who lives on the north side of the lake, is quoted in the article describing the prospect as an “environmental nuclear bomb.”
Flavelle also details the challenges in reversing the trend. Reversing the shrinking would “require letting more snowmelt from the mountains flow to the lake, which means less water for residents and farmers,” which would also require stemming the state and region’s quick population growth. According to the article, the dilemma raises a fundamental question about how much Americans are willing to sacrifice to avert the worst effects of climate change, not to mention live with the effects of climate change. This dilemma is, of course, not unique to Utah.
FULL STORY: As the Great Salt Lake Dries Up, Utah Faces An ‘Environmental Nuclear Bomb’

Keanu Reeves Set to Play Daniel Burnham in ‘The Devil in the White City’
Planning is going to get a new level of star power as a limited series adaptation of The Devil in the White City gets ready for television screens in 2024.

Opinion: Aging Population, Declining Fertility Requires Long-Term Investments
Faced with the dire consequences of a one-two punch of aging populations and declining birthrates, one writer has suggestions for how policy can help ensure a better future.

Marrying Urban Identity and Economic Prosperity
A new book posits that truly successful communities have a strong economic base and a firmly rooted sense of place.

Free Transit Starts September 1 for Seattle Youth
Sound Transit is launching a fare-free program for young riders in the hopes of educating and recruiting future riders and making schools and jobs more accessible to transit-dependent youth.

California Governor Outlines Plan for a ‘Hotter, Drier Future’
With California’s water supply expected to drop by 10 percent in the next two decades, Governor Newsom’s strategy calls for conservation and increased investment in water collection, storage, and desalination infrastructure.

Sealing the Cracks in Weatherization and Home Repair
Deferred home maintenance can lead to serious structural, safety, and health issues. A new program in Pennsylvania aims to fill the gaps in home repair and weatherization programs.
City of Mt Shasta
McKenna
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Rail~Volution
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
Town of Gilbert, Arizona
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.