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
FULL STORY: Urban Ecosystem Analysis for the Houston Gulf Coast Region

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets
The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.

A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.

Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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