Fossil Fuels

A sign reads “Sorry No Gas Today”.

Oregon to End Sales of Gas-Powered Vehicles by 2035

There must be something about having a coast on the Pacific Ocean that makes states set policies to accelerate the end of the internal combustion engine.

December 23, 2022 - The Oregonian

View of black oil wells behind chain link fence with barbed wire top

Los Angeles To Phase Out Oil Drilling

The city has banned new wells and will end all extraction within two decades.

December 6, 2022 - Los Angeles Times

Boston Aerial

Boston Plans To Restrict Fossil Fuel Use in Buildings

As part of the city’s broader climate goals, Mayor Michelle Wu wants to require all new buildings to eliminate the use of fossil fuels.

August 18, 2022 - Smart Cities Dive

Environmentalism

Has the Rug Been Pulled Out From Under Environmentalists?

Robinson Meyer, a climate reporter for The Atlantic, writes about the awkward place American environmentalists find themselves due in part to the war in Europe that has created an international energy crisis and historically high fuel prices at home.

May 6, 2022 - The Atlantic

Electric Car Charging Stencil

EV Charging Stations Gaining Ground

High gas prices are prompting more cities to invest in electric car charging infrastructure.

March 23, 2022 - The Bakersfield Californian

Washington D.C. Protest

How Cities Can Curb Climate Change and Protect Vulnerable Residents

A new U.N. report urges cities to upgrade their infrastructure to bolster climate resilience and build more sustainable, climate-friendly places.

March 3, 2022 - Wired

Electric Car Charging Stencil

'Charging as a Service' Could Accelerate Decarbonization

The proliferation of private EV charging services, coupled with federal investment in charging stations, has the potential to reduce 'charging anxiety' and encourage a faster switch to electric vehicles.

February 22, 2022 - Forbes

Rocky Mountains

The Kids Are Alright: Montana Youth Lead Climate Trial Effort

A group of teens is taking on the state of Montana, claiming that the state's continued dependence on fossil fuels infringes on their constitutional rights.

February 10, 2022 - NBC News

Solar Installation

Grid Operator Calls for Two-Year Pause on Solar Projects, Citing Massive Backlog

The largest grid operator in the U.S. is asking for a new approvals process and two-year delay on current applications to ease the logjam of primarily solar projects in its queue.

February 8, 2022 - Inside Climate News

Feather River Dam

Hydropower Pipeline Rejected By Maine Voters

Maine voters overwhelmingly supported a ballot measure that will halt construction on a hydroelectric transmission line that Massachusetts claims would reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

November 7, 2021 - CommonWealth Magazine

San Diego metropolitan Transit System

Road Charge and Free Transit Considered in San Diego

The San Diego Association of Governments has proposed a mileage fee as part of its plan to modernize transportation and encourage public transit use as California aims to reduce carbon emissions and eliminate fossil fuel-powered vehicles.

November 2, 2021 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Germany

How Global Cities Are Working to Electrify Transit

With the transportation sector accounting for a third of urban carbon emissions, cities around the world are seeking new ways to electrify their transit fleets and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

October 18, 2021 - The New York Times

An image of a coal powered energy production facility along an unidentified waterway in Illinois.

Illinois Commits to Bold Climate Action

The state of Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act , which will phase fossil fuels out for energy production and position the state as a leader on equitable economic development in the clean energy sector.

September 29, 2021 - Yahoo News

Sign at Oil City, Louisiana

Friday Eye Candy: Photo Series Captures Abandoned Oil Wells

A photographer documents the 'orphan wells' strewn across northwest Louisiana in a stark reminder of our deep entanglement with fossil fuels.

July 9, 2021 - Places Journal

Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline

The Biden Administration's Ambiguous Position on Drilling in Alaska

The administration's support of a Conoco-Phillips project is at odds with its suspension of Trump-era oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

June 23, 2021 - WBUR

Solar Power

Louisiana Legislature Moves to Slow Solar Development

The proposed bill and house resolution would create stricter rules for solar leases and make solar projects ineligible for a commonly used tax exemption.

June 8, 2021 - Louisiana Illuminator

Electric Car Charging Station

U.S. Automakers Have Been Undermining Climate Science Since the 1960s, Investigation Reveals

It's been 50 years since researchers at General Motors and Ford Motor Co. warned the automakers about the effects of auto emissions on the planet's climate.

October 29, 2020 - E&E News

Electric Car Charging

2020 Energy Infrastructure Predictions

Planners can expect changes in the energy industry to influence preparations for the future of cities and communities.

February 9, 2020 - Kayla Matthews

ng1_3717

New Jersey Has a Plan to Shift to Clean Energy, but Questions Remain

The state’s energy plan focuses on the move to renewable energy, but specifics about how that will happen and what the costs will be need to be pinned down.

January 16, 2020 - NJ Spotlight

Donald Trump

Trump Signs Two Executive Orders Limiting States' Authority Over Energy Pipelines

The Trump administration's "energy dominance" agenda depends, in part, on growing the energy distribution network, namely pipelines, rail facilities, and ports. However, states can use the Clean Water Act to block pipelines and coal terminals.

April 15, 2019 - InsideClimate News

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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.