This editorial looks at the importance of considering ecosystems when planning large developments.
"As planners and township officials in New Hanover consider a proposal for 617 new housing units in the township, they should be mindful of more than the usual people-population concerns."
"The development proposed near Hickory Park Campground will have an impact on another population -- nesting blue herons in the largest rookery in eastern Pennsylvania."
"The township's traffic engineer estimates the project would generate 2,500 to 3,000 additional 'trips per day' on roads in the area. Another issue being analyzed is how stormwater and construction will affect nearby Swamp Creek. And, that's where the issues that go beyond people-population become critical."
Read the full story: Planning is critical to protect ecosystems near developments
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
HUD modernizes 50-year-old manufactured housing framework
The Next Generation Manufactured Housing Action Plan establishes new energy-efficiency standards for manufactured homes, and new guidelines for anchoring them.
California voters weigh $11.25 billion housing bond
Prop. 1, combined with other funding, would support over 40,000 new rental units in California.
Connecticut is turning landfills into green infrastructure
Twenty-nine solar arrays have been built, or approved to be built, on top of Connecticut landfills.
Trump guts ‘win-win’ solar energy program for rural farmers
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s changes have made virtually all solar power ineligible for funding through the Rural Energy for America Program.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority