Ecology
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Students Drive Solutions for Environmental Justice Through Video Challenge
The Environmental Justice Video Challenge empowers students and communities to collaboratively address environmental inequities through innovative data-driven strategies, resulting in impactful projects and fostering local leadership.
Detecting Invasive Species Early Through Citizen Science
Community science platforms like eBird and iNaturalist enhance early detection of invasive species, complementing professional surveillance and highlighting the need for stronger collaboration between the public and official authorities.
Snohomish River Gains Legal Rights
A new law in one Washington town enshrines the river’s legal right to “exist, regenerate, and flourish.”
Global Report Shows Urban Forests Failing to Meet Vital Standards
The study reveals significant gaps in urban forestry, emphasizing the urgent need for reforms, innovative planting solutions, and expanded tree canopy to combat climate change and improve urban health.
Explore Urban Biodiversity: Join the 2025 City Nature Challenge
The City Nature Challenge invites people worldwide to document urban biodiversity by photographing and sharing wild plants and animals through the iNaturalist app, helping scientists track and understand real-time changes in ecosystems.
Book Review: Combining Sustainability and Smart Growth
A review of The Sustainable Urban Design Handbook, by architects Nico Larco and Kaarin Knudson.
Report: European Rivers Are in Trouble
Some of the continent’s most important rivers are suffering from overuse and pollution.
California Secures $360 Million in Federal Funding for Parks, Habitat Restoration, and Clean Transportation
This funding will drive transformative projects across the state, improving access to green spaces, protecting natural ecosystems, and advancing sustainable transportation initiatives.
Using Sound to Revive Ecosystems and Enhance Biodiversity
This innovative approach leverages the power of sound to stimulate beneficial soil microbes, offering a novel and eco-friendly tool for ecosystem restoration and biodiversity enhancement.
Great Lakes Water Quality Project Seeks to Restore Coastal Vegetation
A plan to restore perennial plants to agricultural land could help reduce runoff and improve water quality across the Great Lakes region.
Annual LA River CleanUp Invites Residents to Protect Local Ecosystems
The Friends of the Los Angeles River will host its 34th Annual LA River CleanUp on October 5, inviting residents to help beautify the river, prevent litter from reaching the ocean, and promote equitable access to green spaces.
Discovering LA’s Biodiversity: The 2024 BioBlitz Challenge
The BioBlitz Challenge invites participants to document local wildlife throughout October using the iNaturalist app, contributing to conservation efforts and scientific research on Los Angeles' biodiversity.
Study Reveals Los Angeles a Hotspot for Insect Diversity
A study reveals that L.A. is a surprising hotspot for insect and spider biodiversity, with diversity driven more by proximity to mountains and stable temperatures than by land value.
New Exhibit Highlights the Urgent Need to Protect Joshua Trees
The Lancaster Museum exhibit “Desert Forest: Life with Joshua Trees” aims to raise awareness of the ecological importance of Joshua trees and the threats they face from climate change in the Mojave Desert.
Sustainable Urban Design: A New Tool and Approach on The Talking Headways Podcast
Discover how the Sustainable Urban Design Framework helps planners create livable, sustainable communities. Nico Larco from the University of Oregon explores a new tool and book in the latest “Talking Headways” podcast.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
