National Parks
Exploring the Outdoors in a Socially and Environmentally Responsible Manner
To travel ethically, visitors to national parks need to be more mindful and better understand the history of the parks and their impacts on these spaces and surrounding communities.
How the National Park Service Uses GIS
A new book demonstrates how the National Park Service uses GIS technology to meet its mission and showcases a selection of maps used for effectively managing national parks.
Parks Overwhelmed by Record Numbers of Visitors
Already understaffed and underfunded, the agencies that manage state and national parks are struggling to keep up with the spike in demand for outdoor recreation over the past year.
Return of the National Parks
After more than a year of COVID-19-related restrictions and limited travel, rising attendance figures across national parks show Americans are eager to explore the great outdoors.
Opinion: We're Loving Our National Parks to Death
A reservation system could help the struggling national parks system manage crowds and protect our public lands from overuse, according to this article.
Avoiding Crowds at National Parks
With the pandemic and associated restrictions for a long year, people want to get outside more than ever. National parks are popular destinations and some are getting plenty of visitors, but there are ways to avoid the crowds.
History of Trailblazing Women Celebrated at National Parks
Learn about ten national parks that preserve and share the stories of women whose vision, tenacity, and resilience helped them to change history forever.
New River Gorge is America's Newest National Park
The 72,000-acre West Virginia gem joins an illustrious list as the 63rd U.S. national park.
Get Outdoors: 10,000 Miles of National Park Trails Restored
A three-year project to restore access to 10,000 miles of national park trails has been completed through a collaboration between the National Park Foundation and food company Nature Valley.
Included in the Stimulus: A New National Park
The New River Gorge in West Virginia, one of the most popular recreation areas in the United States, will be the newest national park thanks to the stimulus package approved by the federal government in December 2020.
Veterans and Gold Star Families Can Now Visit National Parks for Free
A small token of gratitude to the veterans who fought to protect the freedoms of the United States, and the families who sacrificed everything.
Is it a COVID Car or Mask-Optional Car? Rail Commuters Decide
A midwestern commuter rail line found a unique, if controversial way to achieve 100 percent mask compliance on its trains: Set aside one car, though preferably not the bike car, for riders who opt to travel maskless.
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.
Cell Towers: Coming to the National Parks
With the Trump administration's support, private industry is busy building new broadband infrastructure on public lands. The effect is already obvious in many national parks.
Department of Interior Could Allow Private Companies to Run National Park Campgrounds
The Trump administration is exploring ways to outsource operations at national parks to private businesses. Lobbyists for private businesses welcome the invitation.
Op-Ed: Congress Passes Public Lands Bill, Ducks Harder Questions
The Natural Resources Management Act enjoyed bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. But it left out contentious issues like wildfires, greenhouse gas emissions, and protecting wildlife corridors.
Opinion: Close National Parks During the Shutdown
The consequences of allowing the public free access to national parks without any supervision or maintenance operations are to great a risk, according to a former director of the National Park Service.
A Look Back on What Ryan Zinke Is Leaving Behind
Zinke’s tenure at the Interior Department was not lengthy, but the damage he inflicted will be long-lasting.
2018 Presents for Plannerds: The Gifts of Parks
In his sixth annual list of gift ideas for “plannerds,” park plan-nerd Clement Lau takes a different approach.
Utah's Campaign to Deregulate Public Lands
Newly obtained documents reveal the extent of the state's efforts to strip protections from federal lands around the United States.
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)
