Ecology

Side view of layers of grass and soil

Tackling Soil Contamination With Nature-Based Solutions

Los Angeles County residents and experts are turning to nature-based methods like bioremediation to address long-standing and fire-exacerbated soil contamination without resorting to costly and disruptive removal.

April 28, 2025 - Los Angeles Times

Canada geese on lawn in city park with high-rise buildings in background in Vancouver, Canada.

Study: How Urban Parks Can Support Biodiversity

Conservation and recreation can go hand in hand in urban green spaces designed to serve both humans and local wildlife.

April 21, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20, 2025 - Public Domain

Western coyote looking at camera in grassy field.

San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes

San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.

April 14, 2025 - Fox 5

Canada geese sitting on shore of Lake Merritt in Oakland, California.

How Community Science Connects People, Parks, and Biodiversity

Community science engages people of all backgrounds in documenting local biodiversity, strengthening connections to nature, and contributing to global efforts like the City Nature Challenge to build a more inclusive and resilient future.

April 13, 2025 - National Recreation and Park Association Open Space Blog

Large oak tree in meadow with sun filtering from behind it in Angeles National Forest.

Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods

Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.

April 8, 2025 - ASLA The Dirt

Close-up of small brown mushrooms growing in soil and moist green moss.

Harnessing the Power of Fungi for Environmental Cleanup

Mycoremediation — the use of fungi to break down or absorb environmental pollutants — offers a promising, cost-effective, and eco-friendly alternative to conventional methods for restoring contaminated sites.

April 1, 2025 - ecohustler

'Opaeka'a Falls on the island of Kauai surrounded by lush green forest and blue sky.

How Protecting Kauaʻi’s Forests Safeguards Fresh Water

A University of Hawaiʻi study shows that protecting Kauaʻi’s native forests from invasive species significantly boosts groundwater recharge, making it a cost-effective strategy to secure fresh water and enhance climate resilience.

March 31, 2025 - University of Hawai'i News

Purple, orange, and yellow wildflowers in a field in California.

Climate Gardening: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes in Los Angeles

TreePeople’s 4th Annual Urban Soil Symposium explored how climate gardening, soil health, and collaborative land management strategies can enhance urban resilience in the face of climate change.

March 24, 2025 - TreePeople

Snow geese at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, California

California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways

Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.

March 18, 2025 - CALmatters

Woman looking up through binoculars at birds in tree.

Embracing Spring: Ways to Reconnect With Nature and Find Joy

This spring, reconnect with nature and enhance your well-being through simple activities like observing plants up close, practicing forest bathing, birdwatching, arranging flowers, and starting a container garden.

March 17, 2025 - NPR

Yellow bird with black head sitting on power line.

City Nature Challenge: Explore, Document, and Protect Urban Biodiversity

The City Nature Challenge is a global community science event where participants use the iNaturalist app to document urban biodiversity, contributing valuable data to support conservation and scientific research.

March 10, 2025 - City Nature Challenge

Charred trees on hillside in Altadena, California after Eaton Fire.

Preserving Altadena’s Trees: A Community Effort to Save a Fire-Damaged Landscape

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena Green is working to preserve fire-damaged but recoverable trees, advocating for better assessment processes, educating homeowners, and protecting the community’s urban canopy from unnecessary removal.

March 3, 2025 - LAist

Large flock of purple martin birds at dusk flying above a light pole.

Purple Martins Call Nashville Home. Some Wish They Wouldn't

Each year, the city plays host to hundreds of thousands of birds on their way to and from South America.

March 2, 2025 - Maggie Gigandet

Wildfire recovery area with small trees growing in burn areas in Angeles National Forest in California.

Resilient Communities, Healthy Ecosystems: A Balanced Approach to Wildfires

Effective wildfire mitigation in California requires a holistic approach that goes beyond large-scale vegetation removal, emphasizing home hardening, defensible space, strategic planning, and reducing human-caused ignitions.

February 16, 2025 - UCLA Sustainable LA Grand Challenge

Looking up at a grove of mature hemlock trees on a sunny day.

Fighting Forest Pests With AI: A Hemlock Success Story

Fairfax County utilized GeoAI and ArcGIS technology to efficiently map and protect its hemlock trees from the invasive woolly adelgid, ensuring targeted pest management and preservation of its evergreen canopy.

January 21, 2025 - ARCNEWS

Grandfather and young girl sitting on park bench.

Nature and Nurture: Understanding the Diversity of Biophilia

Biophilia, originally thought to be an innate and universal love for nature, is now understood as a temperament trait with significant individual differences influenced by genetics and experience.

January 15, 2025 - Psychology Today

Large trees on either side of wide suburban street.

How AI Is Revolutionizing Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience

Tree-D Fusion, an AI-driven tool developed by MIT and Purdue researchers, generates 3D models of urban trees to help city planners visualize future green spaces, address climate challenges, and enhance urban livability and sustainability.

January 13, 2025 - Wood Central

Large mature oak trees with sun filtering through.

Oak Survival in the Great Lakes: Adapting to a Changing World

Climate change is endangering oaks in the Great Lakes region by increasing their vulnerability to pests, diseases, and extreme weather, threatening their vital ecological role.

January 1, 2025 - Planet Detroit

View of San Francisco Bay on sunny day from residential area of Oakland, California.

Oakland Adopts Urban Forest Plan to Foster Equity and Environmental Justice

The Oakland City Council has adopted its first Urban Forest Plan, a 50-year roadmap focused on equitable tree care, canopy preservation, and environmental justice to benefit underserved communities.

December 23, 2024 - City of Oakland

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.