It's hard to believe that in the decades since the impact of greenhouse gas emissions were first recognized, no standard for measuring and calculating emissions has been developed. The introduction of the Community Protocol intends to change that.
Last week, "the sustainability network ICLEI USA released the U.S. Community Protocol for Accounting and Reporting of Greenhouse Gas Emissions (thankfully shortened to the Community Protocol), the first-ever national standard detailing how to inventory community-associated greenhouse gas emissions," reports Emma Fried-Cassorla.
"Before," says Fried-Cassorla, "communities could reach out to ICLEI
for guidance on how to measure and calculate emissions, or could try to
extrapolate from corporate or federal reporting. This resulted in an ad
hoc cobbling together of best practices, which led to inconsistent and
incomparable data. Now, a quick download and some video tutorials will
allow a city or community to easily create a standardized greenhouse gas
inventory."
FULL STORY: First-Time National Standard to Help Cities Keep Tabs on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?
Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America
With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal
Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)