National Parks
Yosemite crowds wait hours to enter park after NPS ends reservation system
Bumper-to-bumper traffic and a lack of parking foreshadowed a potentially chaotic summer.
Glacier National Park drops reservation requirement, plans to double down on shuttle network
Since 2021, visitors with cars have had to make a reservation to access the park.
Nation’s Shortest Car Ferry Travels Just 200 Feet in a National Park
The Green River Ferry shuttles cars in a 30-second trip.
Tour Long Beach’s 0.05-acre ‘National Park’
A tongue-in-cheek community improvement project touts itself as the nation’s “smallest national park.”
Trump Administration Wants to Remove Conservation From Approved 'Uses' of Public Land
The Department of the Interior moved to officially rescind the Public Lands Rule passed in 2024, which elevates the conservation of public lands to the same level of protection as other uses.
Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.
February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Federal policy changes send shock waves through agencies at all levels of government as we continue to monitor the effects of the new administration’s slash-and-burn approach to government.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Hawai'i Researchers Tackle Climate Challenges in National Parks
University of Hawaiʻi researchers are using advanced remote sensing technologies to protect cultural resources in five Hawaiʻi national parks from climate change impacts while training students in cutting-edge environmental science techniques.
How Social Media Is Influencing Our Interactions with Public Lands
Getting the perfect online photo is drawing more people into nature. Land managers are trying to mitigate risks and damage to wild places.
Hikers Take Solace: The Appalachian Trail Will Survive Hurricane Helene
Despite concerns and closures in the wake of Hurricane Helene, most of the trail appears to have suffered minor damage.
5 Books, 3 Films to Help You Celebrate National Public Lands Day
Can’t make it to a national park or forest this Public Lands Day? Here are five books and three films to help you honor the occasion from the comfort of your own home.
Yosemite Meadow Undergoing Major Restoration
Rangeland recently acquired from private owners is being restored to a more natural state thanks to a purchase by the Trust for Public Land.
How the Great American Outdoors Act Improved Public Lands
The 2020 federal law has helped fund park maintenance projects and improve access to public lands.
9 Public Land Destinations to Visit This Black History Month
These national monuments, parks, and sites honor and preserve Black history in America.
A Hurricane in Death Valley
The heavy rain brought by a rare West Coast hurricane could have long-lasting impacts on this iconic American landscape.
Improving Transit Access to Parks and Trails
Too often, national parks and other recreational spaces in the United States are difficult or impossible to access without a car. Some parks are working to change that.
Public Lands in the United States, Part Two: The Conservation Turn and ‘America’s Best Idea’
As Western expansion reached its geographic terminus, the U.S. government began tightening rules around land use and designating protected areas such as national parks and wilderness areas, often displacing local Native Americans.
San Francisco’s Tunnel Tops Gets Family-Oriented Expansion
Unlike its flashier, selfie-friendly neighbor, the new Outpost Meadow is designed to provide comfortable space for locals.
Overcrowding at Yosemite National Park
Long lines of cars have been trying to enter the park, with many stuck in traffic for hours and vehicles parked illegally in traffic lanes, on grass, and between rocks.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
