<p>Under the leadership of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the city of L.A., long infamous for its smog and traffic, has become a leader in many aspects of sustainable urban living.</p>
Last month, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Summit in Seattle-where mayors from around the country shared their green accomplishments and challenged each other to do more for the pursuit of a sustainable, carbon neutral country. Mayor Villaraigosa's speech from that event was entitled "Global Warming and Local Responsibility," which offers L.A. as a model for sustainable cities around the country.
"The facts are all around us. The U.N. Climate Change study earlier this year slammed the case shut. Increases in greenhouse gases can be attributed to human activity with a ninety-percent degree of certainty, and the "warming of the climate system is unequivocal." The fact is, in my home state of California, we're looking at a dry century, with temperatures expected to rise by between three and 12 degrees."
"I tell people practically everywhere I go: my administration's goal is to make Los Angeles the cleanest and greenest big city in America. Now, I have to admit that when I say that, sometimes people ask me whether I'm talking about Los Angeles, California. And they're right to ask. Our past-like America's past-hasn't always been synonymous with sustainability."
"We are owning up to the fact that, since we hold title to our utility, the city of Los Angeles directly owns roughly one-third of our carbon emissions...So, when I came into office, we set a goal of getting 20 percent of our energy from renewable sources by the year 2010. I'm proud to say that in just two years, we've nearly tripled our renewable portfolio."
FULL STORY: Mayor Villaraigosa Addresses Seattle Mayors Conference on ‘Global Warming and Local Responsibility’

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.

San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.

California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill
The proposed legislation would have prohibited new construction in historically underserved areas that often bear the burnt of the negative impacts of freeways.

Initiative Brings Capacity Building to Booming Rural Towns
A research and capacity building initiative based at Utah State University seeks to help fast-growing tourist meccas in the West plan for smart growth.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.