The city has launched a program of collaboration with the green tech industry.

Two miles northwest of Boston, the city of Somerville, Massachusetts, has determined to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. While many cities, states, and countries have set targets for drastically reducing their carbon footprint, few have set such an ambitious goal. Bordering Cambridge, and surrounded by world-class universities, the small but densely packed city is "home to the largest green tech incubator in the country," Elizabeth Daigneau reports. "Somerville figured that if it was going to be carbon-neutral by 2050, it was going to need the help and cooperation of the business community."
The recently launched Green Tech Program will initially focus on pilot projects and facilitating information exchange through green tech networking events. The stated goal of the first event "is to raise the profile of municipal-ready technologies while providing a forum for city and industry officials to exchange opportunities and challenges." The first event was held in June in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
The first pilot program will be launched in partnership with Understory, a weather intelligence firm that caters to the insurance industry. According to their website, the startup provides "hyper-local data to power advanced damage analytics." The firm will install solar-powered weather stations at two local schools in order to share weather data with the city and the public. Daigneau writes, "Ultimately, Somerville has three broad goals with its pilot projects: They must help with climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation and quality of life."
FULL STORY: How Does a City Get to Zero Carbon Emissions?

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.

‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.

Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.

More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions