Public Lands
Colorado oil and gas land lease on public land could imperil nation's largest elk herd
The federal government approved the largest land lease to oil and gas interests in Colorado history.
Trump removes rules against off-road vehicles on public lands
The decades-old executive orders protected national parks and delicate ecosystems from dirt bikes, snowmobiles and ATVs.
Supreme Court cements access to millions of acres of 'checkerboard' public land
A Tenth Circuit court ruled that private property owners can't prevent people from accessing 'corner-locked' public lands.
Study: Building More Forest Roads Would Quadruple Fire Risk
The administration plans to rescind the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects close to 60 million acres of national forest lands from road development.
September Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
EV drivers can no longer use carpool lanes alone, Bay Area transit is saved — for now — by a $750 million loan, and a Florida commuter rail line loses its state subsidy, jeopardizing its future.
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.
California Advances Its 30x30 Conservation Goals
California is making significant progress toward its 30x30 conservation goals, but looming federal rollbacks and gaps in biodiversity protections could threaten the state’s efforts to protect lands and coastal waters by 2030.
Most Public Lands Are Safe — For Now
A proposal to sell off federally owned lands was removed from the Republican spending bill on procedural grounds.
US Forest Service Could Open Millions of Roadless Acres to Logging
The USDA indicated it plans to repeal the ‘Roadless Rule,’ a Clinton-era regulation that prevents new road-building in undeveloped federal forest areas.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
DOJ Says Trump Has Power to Roll Back National Monuments
The opinion sheds light on how the administration may justify its effort to eliminate protected public lands.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.
March Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month
Proposed housing solutions, Chicago transit in peril, and executive actions in limbo.
New Executive Order Renews Attack on Public Lands
An order issued late last week pushes for increased mineral extraction on federally owned public lands.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Planning Trends for 2025: Creative Housing Solutions, Ongoing Transit Woes, and the Ever-Creeping Tentacles of AI
Urban planners have no shortage of urgent issues to delve into, from a deepening housing crisis to an increasingly unpredictable climate to a new federal administration bent on slashing key funding for everything from electric cars to housing assistance.
Poll Shows Residents of Western States Prefer Conservation Over Oil and Gas
The majority of the poll’s respondents identified as politically conservative or independent, with 40 percent supporting the MAGA platform.
Public Lands Can Help Us Tackle the Housing Crisis in the West
The U.S. owns more than 650 million acres of public lands, and it has the power to sell or lease limited parcels for affordable housing. But mass disposal of public lands, as some legislators have proposed, is not the answer.
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.
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
