Energy

Coal Power Plants to Retire Faster Under Trump

Coal plants will retire faster than analysts had figured under the Clean Power Plan, which the Trump administration is repealing, yet the Department of Energy proposes to make building new coal plants a centerpiece of its energy policy.

May 15, 2018 - Forbes

School Buses

Campaign Launched to Electrify School Buses

U.S. PIRG wants states to use funding from multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlements to convert the nation's school bus fleet, 95% of which is diesel-powered, to zero-emission buses to reduce children's exposure to toxic air pollution.

May 13, 2018 - U.S. Pirg

New Guidelines to Streamline New Energy Storage Projects Adopted in New York City

The city of New York wants more capacity to store energy, so it's making the process of permitting energy storage projects easier to understand and follows.

May 12, 2018 - Smart Cities Dive

Texas

Border Town Removes Licensing Barrier to Encourage Solar

On the U.S.-Mexico border just west of the Gulf of Mexico, Brownsville looks to take advantage of its sunny territory.

May 11, 2018 - Next City

Beacon

How the Lights in Our Cities Became Too Bright

“Why are lighting designers and experts nearly unified in their belief that outdoor lighting in past years has been excessive?”

May 7, 2018 - Metropolis Magazine

View of solar panels on roofs

California to Require Solar on New Residential Buildings

The California Energy Commission will decide on new energy standards for residential construction this week.

May 6, 2018 - The Orange County Register

Delay Sign

Op-Ed: 'Public Mood' Has Turned Against Cars in Cities

A survey of recent planning decisions demonstrates that cities are no longer necessarily looking to more and bigger highways to solve their traffic problems.

May 4, 2018 - The New York Times

Elevator

Waiting for a Greener Elevator

Moving an 80,000-pound metal box means using energy, and elevators can account for 2-10% of a buildings energy use.

May 3, 2018 - Smithsonian Magazine

Los Angeles Harbor Freeway

California Has 8 of the 10 Most Polluted Cities in the U.S.

Despite ever-stricter air-quality regulations and dropping emissions, the American Lung Association once again finds the state to have some of the worst air in the nation.

April 24, 2018 - USA Today

Open Space

'Unprecedented' Sale of Public Land Concerns 'Even Some Republicans'

As the Department of the Interior auctions off 'vast swaths' of American wilderness to oil and gas companies, fiscal conservatives and conservationists alike wonder if it’s the right thing at the right time.

April 24, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Sonny Perdue

Under Zinke, Land in Montana Is Still Somehow Protected

Though he’s opened land all over the U.S. to industry, the Interior Secretary is actually pushing to conserve even more of his home state.

April 24, 2018 - The New York Times

San Francisco Bay

How SB 827 'Cleaved the California Environmental Movement'

Even before the bill was defeated, it exposed a major generational divide between anti-development environmentalists and their pro-density, pro-housing heirs.

April 23, 2018 - San Francisco Magazine

South Fork of the Skykomish River

Controversial Hydropower Proposal Scuttled in Washington

A victory for environmental conservationists.

April 18, 2018 - knkx

Coal Extraction

New Evidence of Coal's Evolving Place in the Economy

Contura Energy paid Blackjewel Inc. $21 million to take ownership of the Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr coal mines in Wyoming.

April 14, 2018 - Casper Star-Tribune

Security cameras on a building

How Surveillance in Cities is Evolving

Across the globe, smart cities are increasingly procuring and implementing information technology in order to improve the efficiency and sustainability of urban spaces. The former CTO of L.A. and the mayor of Beverly Hills weigh in on the subject.

April 13, 2018 - The Planning Report

Methane

New Research Directly Measures Methane's Increasing Greenhouse Effect

According to to a recent study, methane gas produces a much larger greenhouse effect than previously thought. Planners can act to limit the environmental impact of methane.

April 13, 2018 - Kayla Matthews

Power Lines

Cryptocurrency Goes in Search of Cheap Power, Finds it in Small-Town America

Some of the least expensive electricity in the country can be found in Upstate New York, where cryptocurrency miners are starting to set up shop—with or without local approval.

April 9, 2018 - CityLab

Parking Lot SOlar

As Climate Shifts, Cincinnati Mayor Boosts Solar Investments

The Ohio city recently announced a plan to build the nation's largest municipally owned onsite solar array. The plan builds on a decade of increasingly ambitious climate action.

March 27, 2018 - Yale Climate Connections

TOKYO Night @45F

Energy Demand and Carbon Emissions Increased in 2017, Just Not Everywhere

The International Energy Agency found that China and India were responsible for 40 percent of the increased energy demand. The biggest decrease in carbon dioxide emissions came from the U.S., largely due to increased use of renewables.

March 27, 2018 - International Energy Agency

Allegheny River

Allegheny River Town Debates Fracking Water Treatment Plant

Opponents cite environmental risks, supporters hope the facility will boost the economy of a struggling community.

March 25, 2018 - Pittsburg Post-Gazette

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.