Conservation

Sonny Perdue

Under Zinke, Land in Montana Is Still Somehow Protected

Though he’s opened land all over the U.S. to industry, the Interior Secretary is actually pushing to conserve even more of his home state.

April 24, 2018 - The New York Times

South Fork of the Skykomish River

Controversial Hydropower Proposal Scuttled in Washington

A victory for environmental conservationists.

April 18, 2018 - knkx

Big Bend National Park

2018's Most Endangered Rivers

The American Rivers advocacy organization this week released their annual list of most endangered rivers in the United States.

April 11, 2018 - American Rivers

Desert Farm

Trump Administration Would Slash 22 Percent of Farm Bill's Conservation Funding

The Farm Bill is one of the federal government's biggest, most controversial (yet still intractable) bills. The Trump Administration has plans for change.

April 10, 2018 - Crosscut

Clermont County, Ohio

Celebrating the 'Greenspace Gems' in the Cincinnati Region

An advocacy organization in the Tri-State area (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana) is raising awareness about the region's 116,000 acres of preserved greenspace.

March 17, 2018 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Treasure Valley

Half of Idaho's Treasure Valley Farmland Could Disappear by 2100

Boise State University researchers have published a detailed study and online maps that lay out possible scenarios for urban growth in Idaho's Treasure Valley in one of the fastest-growing states in the Union.

February 1, 2018 - Idaho Statesman

A private club located in Florida

Why Zinke Gave Florida a Break on Drilling

After announcing the coast of almost all states would be open for oil and gas production, the Secretary of the Interior changed his mind on one after meeting with Trump’s favored candidate for Senate.

January 19, 2018 - The New Yorker

Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve

Esri's Jack and Laura Dangermond Make Massive Land Conservation Gift

The Nature Conservancy's largest ever gift will preserve 24,000 acres of highly prized land in California. Jack and Laura Dangermond (cofounders of Esri) made the donation.

December 30, 2017 - The Atlantic

Golf

Conservation Easements: Crafted With Good Intentions and Now Exploited for Tax Benefits

A tax break designed to protect land has become just another massive tax loophole. It looks like conservation easements are here to stay.

December 29, 2017 - ProPublica

Cattle Farmers

Film Highlights Conservationists' Diversity

This documentary complicates what can seem like a stark partisan divide on the environment, highlighting the many heartland residents who do conservation work.

August 20, 2017 - Pacific Standard

Chester County, Pennsylvania

Huge Swath of Land Preserved in Pennsylvania's Fastest Growing County

Preservationists have bought one reprieve from the ongoing expansion of developed land in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

June 12, 2017 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Litter

Bag Tax Making a Big Difference in Chicago, Study Finds

NYU study finds 30% decrease in use of disposable bags since the city of Chicago implemented a seven-cent tax on them.

April 28, 2017 - Next City

National Monuments

Antiquities Act Executive Order Calls for Review of Large Designations

The Executive Order does not roll back the Antiquities Act nor rescind any designations made by presidents Clinton, George W. Bush, or Obama, but does call for their review if over 100,000 acres. President Trump feels that the act has been misused.

April 28, 2017 - The Washington Post

Celebrating a Rare Win for the Environment from the Trump Administration

It may be a small but nonetheless significant win for conservation over energy extraction, particularly for Grand County, Colorado, near Rocky Mountain National Park.

April 19, 2017 - E&E News [Subscription]

Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge

Legal Battle Over Wildlife Refuges in Northern California and Southern Oregon

A lawsuit marks the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle over what conservationists consider one of the most important waterfowl sanctuaries in the country.

January 22, 2017 - The Oregonian

California State Water project

California Water Plan Foretells Tension Between Cities, Farmers

Recognizing the ongoing drought's severity, Sacramento is set to adopt a new statewide conservation plan. But some say the regulations don't place enough pressure on California's agricultural sector.

December 12, 2016 - KPCC

EPA Awards Grant To Monitor Wetlands Using Unmanned Aircraft System

Community and Regional Planning Associate Professor Zhenghong Tang received an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant to explore the use of drones to monitor wetlands.

October 14, 2016 - University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Jamaica Bay

Jamaica Bay: Wilderness in the City

Created so people could "experience nature in the midst of crowds," New York's Jamaica Bay National Wildlife Refuge embodies the characteristics of all modern national parks: abundant, welcoming, and threatened.

August 27, 2016 - Grist

Coal Railroad

Why the Sierra Club Owns a $2.2 Billion Coal Reserve

Through a series of legal maneuvers associated with a coal giant's bankruptcy, the Sierra Club made good on a conservation opportunity worth $2.2 billion and weighing 53 million tons.

July 29, 2016 - Slate

Mexico City

'Native Plants' Won't Save Urban Biodiversity

Part literature review, part political appeal, this article makes the case for rethinking the concept of what makes plants native—especially in the face of climate change.

June 20, 2016 - UGEC Viewpoints

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.