Conservation

Seatle Skyline

How the West Won—Nature and Cities, Side by Side

The New York Times Opinion Pages present a new narrative for the American West: "A wounded piece of land can be made whole, if managed for the future by people whose capacity for wonder is limitless."

September 6, 2014 - The New York Times

Fifty Years of the Wilderness Act

Fifty years ago, Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law The Wilderness Act, at the time protecting more than nine million acres of wild lands throughout the nation.

September 2, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Study Measures Impacts of Climate and Land Use Changes

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Aarhus University in Denmark understand for the first time the combined potential impacts of both climate and land-use change on plants, animals, and ecosystems throughout the United States.

August 23, 2014 - Science Daily

Can Conservation and Drilling Coexist?

That's the question facing the nation's largest environmental organization (not the Sierra Club but The Nature Conservancy) regarding the management of its preserve in Texas. There is no question for Naomi Klein, who writes about it in her new book.

August 6, 2014 - The New York Times

How Much Is Too Much Protection for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways?

A political battle over the Ozark National Scenic Riverways—the largest federal park in Missouri—is heating up. The debate pressures a crucial distinction: how much are protected open spaces for people, and how much are they for protecting.

February 13, 2014 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

An image of a winery in Paso Robles

One of California's Most Famous Wine Regions is About to Run Out of Water

Paso Robles -- one of California's premier wine-producing regions -- is on the verge of running out of water, pitting wine producers against rural residents. At stake is the possible future of the region.

September 5, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Sydney's Most Valuable Site Set for Preservation Battle

With an election looming, the fate of one of Sydney's landmarks rests with voters as current Prime MInister Kevin Rudd suggests selling Garden Island should he be re-elected. Stephen Nicholls and Antony Lawes consider the site's future.

September 1, 2013 - Sydney Morning Herald

Environmental Conservation Is Costly, But Economic Benefits Are Great

A new report has sought to quantify the annual costs of America's assorted environmental protection efforts for the first time.

May 13, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

When It Comes to Conservation, the Tables Slowly Turn in the Global North-South Divide

Announced at a recent United Nations summit on biodiversity, India’s pledge of $50 million to assist developing countries with conservation efforts marks a significant shift in the way environmental protection is funded worldwide.

October 28, 2012 - The New York Times

Preserving Land For Future Generations

An easement often grants a third party, mainly a utility company, limited rights to properties not belonging to them. In North Fork, Colorado, conservation easements do the opposite by preserving the "heaven here on earth," says Kathy Browning.

October 6, 2011 - Delta County Independent

Rahul Mehrotra Talks Indian Urban Planning

Rahul Mehrotra talks to The Hindu about sustainable cities, community participation, and infrastructure. The article also has a review of his most recent book "Architecture in India Since 1990."

August 16, 2011 - The Hindu

Following Up on Dire Predictions About Water in the West

25 years after the publication of Cadillac Desert, scientists have scrutinized the predictions of the hallmark history of water in the Western U.S. and find that its dire warnings are not far off.

May 12, 2011 - Miller-McCune

Dwindling Small Towns Fight Back

Census data shows that Lacrosse, WA (pop. 315) and other small, rural towns are getting smaller. Some blame the Conservation Reserve Program. But Lacrosse and many others aren't going quietly - they're fighting to hang on.

March 17, 2011 - The Spokesman-Review

When California Mountain Lions Become City Dwellers

As urban sprawl continues to encroach on what was once expansive habitat for mountain lions, the large predators have been involved in more encounters with humans in urban settings.

November 29, 2010 - The San Francisco Chronicle

A Developer in the Park

Sitting in a controversial niche in the development market, Thomas Chapman develops plans for parcels within national parks, only to take buyouts from environmental groups or the government. He's got a bold new proposal on the way.

October 19, 2010 - The Wall Street Journal

El Paso's Smart Water Management

Despite a growing population and limited amounts of rainfall, the city of El Paso, Texas, has been able to effectively manage its water supplies -- and reduce use.

August 13, 2010 - Grist

Time for an International Conservation Market?

A recent proposal by Britain's Conservative Party to create a system of conservation credits to protect biodiversity should be expanded to a global scale, according to this piece from The Guardian.

May 19, 2010 - The Guardian

Conservation Efforts Straining Water Infrastructure

Water conservation efforts that limited when Los Angeles County residents could water their lawns may have caused a spate of water main bursts last summer and fall.

April 16, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Adventure Tourism as Preservation

California City is a city in the desert that never came to be. But much of its skeleton remains. A recent tour explored the ghost of this unbuilt city.

March 24, 2010 - Good

Best Practices for Water Management

This piece from Urban Re:Vision Magazine looks at a variety of water reuse and stormwater capture projects in cities across the U.S.

February 11, 2010 - Urban Re:Vision

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.