The general consensus is that urbanization has had a negative effect on the environment, though its extent is difficult to define. Pollution is a common measure, and though some urban areas' air qualities are improving, others are falling far behind.
Researchers and environmentalists have long known that fuel use has been one of the most significantly concentrated problems in urban areas. But this problem, and other commonly associated with the urban experience, is not isolated to urban areas. Global warming, for example, has causes in both urban and rural areas. In many instances, the impacts of rural areas are more significant than those caused by urban areas.
" 'What is needed is research that focuses on the large-scale, long-term environmental changes, not just on the immediate impact of cities,' concludes the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), a global research alliance."
" 'Until recently, this has been quite unexplored territory,' it says. It is territory which badly needs exploration if the full impacts of 21st Century urbanisation are to be fully understood."
FULL STORY: Finding green in the concrete jungle
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie