New report calculates the economic and environmental impact of the dramatic loss of trees in the Houston area due to sprawl and development.
"Using satellite imagery and aerial photography, [a]nonprofit organization [American Forests] documented the gradual decline of the region's urban canopy, an area covering 3.2 million acres, as a result of sprawl and development...While the study shows today's trees are providing financial and ecological benefits worth millions of dollars, millions more would have been saved and the environment would have remained cleaner if more trees had been retained and protected during the study period." [Link to 12-page report in PDF format (1.04MB - approx. 2.5 minutes at 56kbps). Report includes color maps.]
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
Read the full story: Urban Ecosystem Analysis for the Houston Gulf Coast Region
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker
Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
‘Hoodwinked:’ New Mexico bill aimed at microgrids paves way for data center development
In an interview with High Country News, Padilla said the legislation “ignited” New Mexico's economy.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority