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.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
Nation's most wind-powered state turns to coal as data centers increase energy demand
For the first time in decades, Iowa has increased its generation of coal power.
NYC cools commuters with city's first rain garden above a bus stop
New York City officials say the plants in the rain garden can absorb 16 gallons of rainwater during heavy storms.
Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan
The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association