Land Conservation

Green rolling hills of Elephant Hill park with blue sky and the Los Angeles skyline on the distant horizon.

Community-Led Conservation: Protecting Elephant Hill’s Unique Biodiversity in Northeast LA

Community-led efforts are crucial in protecting the unique biodiversity of Elephant Hill in Northeast LA, with a focus on preserving the threatened Southern California black walnut tree and ensuring public access to this vital green space.

August 26, 2024 - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Trees and People

Growing Jobs by Growing Trees

Learn about some less-than-obvious jobs associated with trees and forests.

June 28, 2021 - American Forests

Beaufort County, South Carolina

An Open Space Plan for Cultural Landscapes, Resilience, and Growth in the Coastal Southeast

The Beaufort County Greenprint Plan, completed in 2020, offers an innovative model of open space planning integrated within a larger planning framework.

May 25, 2021 - Emily McCoy

Bureau of Land Management

Can the U.S. Preserve 30 Percent of its Lands and Waters?

The Biden administration released its preliminary report on a plan to conserve 30 percent of the nation's lands and waters by 2030, one big, ambitious component of the administration's climate plans.

May 9, 2021 - The Washington Post

Hiking Trail

The 'Great American Outdoors Act' Signed Into Law

By signing this new law into effect, President Trump seems ot have departed from his administration's previous actions on public lands.

August 5, 2020 - The Mercury News

Bears Ears National Monument

Interior Secretary Wants to Reduce Bears Ears National Monument

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, in an early decision to come of a nationwide review of national monument designations, recommends that President Trump reduce the size of Bears Ears National Monument.

June 14, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

Species Protection

Concern Grows Over the Fate of the Country's 'Largest Land Conservation Feat'

Western governors are concerned with signals from the Trump Administration about its intentions to kill a compromise deal to protect 165 million acres of habitat for the sage grouse.

June 6, 2017 - The Denver Post

Environmentalists Fight Feds Over Drilling in Utah's Treasured Public Lands

Utah's San Rafael Swell is the scene of an energy showdown between conservationists who want to preserve this unique landscape (potentially a national monument), private oil and gas companies that want to drill there, and the BLM that has to decide.

September 23, 2013 - The New York Times - U.S.

To Preserve Landscapes, Environmentalists Put Their Money Where Their Mouths Are

A novel approach to land conservation is emerging in the American West, where environmental advocates, ranchers, hunters and rich landowners, are utilizing the free market, rather than the courts, to preserve public landscapes.

March 18, 2013 - The New York Times

New Study Reveals Importance of Conserving Unbuilt Land

A new study mandated by the federal Resources Planning Act predicts that developed land in the U.S. will increase by 41 percent in the next five decades. Such development could have dramatic impacts on our natural resources and ecosystems.

January 9, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Land Trust an Unexpected Ally in Indiana's Planning Scene

Ole Amundsen discusses the Central Indiana Land Trust's recent work in proactive land use planning, signaling a broader change in the way land trusts are doing business.

April 27, 2012 - APA - Sustaining Places Blog

Land Conservation Increasing in Spite of Recession

Land trust have been able to increase their holds during the last five years. Lower land prices and conservation easements on working ranches and farms have enabled greater conservation efforts.

December 16, 2011 - High Country News

An Ursine Easement

A forest management company in Northern Idaho has set aside a 647-acre grizzly bear habitat. Part of the deal is that the company will not log while the grizzlies are in the house.

June 11, 2010 - Bonners Ferry Herald

Riverfront Easement Provokes Debate

In Red Wing, Minnesota, the city is seeking to turn 200-acres of marshes and forests into a permanent conservation easement. A citizen group has complained that locking down the land forever is a bad idea.

April 26, 2010 - Red Wing Republican Eagle

Does Land Conservation Drive Housing Costs?

A new study in the San Francisco Bay Area says no, that had there been no controls in place there would be only 6.5% more housing built over the past 50 years.

April 7, 2010 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Land Conservation Not Responsible For High Cost of Housing

High housing prices cannot be blamed on land conservation efforts, at least not in Silicon Valley, is the word from researchers at Stanford University.

March 13, 2010 - Stanford University News

How Bill's Hotel Room Saved Some Trees

Bill Fulton was prepping for a panel on transferable development rights programs for last weekend's New Partners for Smart Growth conference in Seattle when he realized the hotel he was in was the beneficiary of just such a program.

February 8, 2010 - California Planning & Development Report

Market Downturn Is Good News For Land Conservationists

While plenty of investors and homeowners are feeling the pain of the current real estate market, groups trying to protect land from development are welcoming the downturn.

May 11, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

Major Land Deal To Protect 240,000 Acres In Southern California

The developer of the Tejon Ranch agreed to a plan to put permanent conservation easements on almost 375 square miles of ranch lands and wilderness 60 miles north of Los Angeles, in exchange for rights to develop 10 percent of its land holdings.

May 9, 2008 - The New York Times

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.