Nature

Grandfather and young girl sitting on park bench.

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.

January 15, 2025 - Psychology Today

Woman wearing beanie leaning down over grass covered with fall leaves using tablet to identify plants.

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.

December 22, 2024 - Relational Thinking

Hawk perched on tree in city park.

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.

November 24, 2024 - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Flock of white snow geese flying and resting in water in Sacramento River delta at sunset.

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.

October 7, 2024 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

Set of black headphones attached to small tray of wheatgrass sitting on table against blue background.

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.

October 6, 2024 - The Conversation

View of calm Maumee River with fall foliage on other side at sunset.

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.

October 2, 2024 - Midland Daily News

Woman in forest looking at plants and documenting on tablet.

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.

September 30, 2024 - Los Angeles Public Library

Green hills with orange California poppies in bloom in foreground in Chino Hills State Park, California.

Making California State Parks More Climate-Resilient

A recently released report offers recommendations for keeping state parks healthy and robust, including acquiring additional land for conservation and recreation.

April 22, 2024 - Spectrum News 1

Two large California live oaks in a field of dry grass.

California’s Live Oaks in Focus

The new exhibit explores the hidden network that allows heritage coast live oak trees to communicate with one another.

April 4, 2024 - Outlook Valley Sun

View of small pedestrian bridge in Prescott Preserve Palm Springs, California with palm tree oasis and mountains in background.

Rewilding the Golf Course

How former golf courses are being transformed from manicured lawns to vibrant habitats.

February 26, 2024 - The New York Times

View of downtown Los Angeles from elevated hillside with palm trees in foreground and pink sky.

Planning for Trees in Los Angeles

The County and City of Los Angeles are working together on community engagement efforts for their Urban Forest Management Plans (UFMPs).

February 21, 2024 - LAist

Pink flowers in bloom in front of wood gazebo/pavilion in Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles.

The Importance of Botanical Gardens

Southern California is home to some of the best botanical gardens around. TimeOut just released its list of the top Japanese and botanical gardens, mansion and institution gardens, and urban and hidden gardens.

February 20, 2024 - TimeOut

Looking up at a modern glass skyscraper with green tree next to it.

The Benefits of Trees

In addition to all the economically valuable services they provide, trees are beautiful as pure aesthetic objects and a welcome presence in any landscape.

February 19, 2024 - Corey Squire

Close-up of desert tortoise in Nevada desert.

BLM Allocates Funding to Study Renewables Impact on Public Lands

The large-scale study will assess how proposed solar farms and other renewable energy projects could impact animals, plants, and habitats.

January 1, 2024 - KLAS

Coyote walking down paved road in Los Angeles park.

The Year in Urban Wildlife

A roundup of stories about the creatures that share our cities.

December 27, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Group of sparrows sitting on decorative metal fence.

The Disparate Impacts of Urban Noise

Research shows higher levels of noise in formerly redlined neighborhoods, disrupting the health of both human and animal residents.

December 7, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Young male Tule elk stands on green outcrop with lake in background in California

Celebrating California's Biodiversity

This year marks the fifth annual California Biodiversity Day, established in 2018 to celebrate and encourage actions to protect the state’s exceptional biodiversity.

September 5, 2023 - California State Parks

Young bull moose stands in grassy field in Bridger-Teton National Forest

How Noise Pollution Impacts Nature

Overly loud noise isn’t just a public health risk for humans.

July 11, 2023 - High Country News

Man in blue jacket photographs birds outdoors with zoom lens

The Importance of Community Scientists

Community science mobilizes the public to work alongside scientists to help answer questions about the world. Learn about the valuable contributions of community scientists in Hawai'i.

June 26, 2023 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Vacant Lot

The Importance of Unintentional Nature in Cities

A new book argues in favor of spontaneous, informal natural spaces.

March 14, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

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.