By purchasing 954 acres of forested land, the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest has added to its swath of the map in the neighborhood of Louisville and Fort Knox.
"In an action designed to help conserve a bat population facing depletion by disease and lost habitat, Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest has annexed a 954-acre wooded plateau for $1.4 million," reports Sheldon S. Shafer in Louisville. The addition is the largest addition to the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest since its creation in 1928. "The new land — mostly a mesa called the Big Level — brings the Bernheim holdings near Clermont to 15,625 acres," adds Shafer.
Funding for the purchase came from grants administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Imperiled Bat Conservation Fund. Eventually, the land will be open for guided hikes and educational programs, but will be mostly restricted to access for researchers.
The issue of habitat protection for bats is important in this part of the country. Bats feed on moths and insects that pose a threat to crops. The new land is home to 12 species of bat, according to Shafer, "[i]ncluding the Indiana bat that is a federally endangered species and the northern long-eared bat that is threatened."
FULL STORY: Bernheim Forest makes major land acquisition to protect bats

Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.

Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?

Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.

Tempe Historic Preservation Proposal Could Make it Harder to Build New Homes
Proposed changes to the city’s preservation ordinance would make two-thirds of the city’s housing stock eligible for preservation.

How to Measure Transit Equity
A new report highlights the need to go beyond traditional equity metrics to assess how public transit systems are serving the lowest-income and most disadvantaged riders.

Why Brand New Cities Won’t Solve Our Urban Problems
Building cities takes time and resources. Why not spend them on fixing the ones we have?
Urban3
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
National Capital Planning Commission
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.