Environment

Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy made landfall at 8pm ET on October 29, 2012 about 5 miles southwest of Atlantic City, NJ, as seen in this NOAA GOES-13 satellite colorized infrared image from the same time.

Jail the Planners for Not Preventing Sandy!

Ed Blakely indicts the planning profession for failing to protect our communities from the threat of a changing climate. How can we plan places that serve as bulwarks from the worst physical traumas, while providing economic and social resiliency?

November 5, 2012 - Edward J. Blakely

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

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.

July 15, 2025 - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Worker painting metal roof white.

New Atlanta Law Requires ‘Cool Roofs’

Painting roofs with reflective coatings can significantly reduce indoor temperatures and improve energy efficiency, sometimes at a lower cost than traditional roof treatments.

July 15, 2025 - Next City

Aerial view of Chicago skyline on bright day with turquoise Lake Michigan in foreground.

The Great Lakes Cities are Touted as a Climate Refuge. The Reality is Much More Complex.

Sewage overflows, invasive species and polar vortexes — America’s climate haven might be more illusive than we think.

July 15, 2025 - Greg Flisram

Two men in collared shirts and slacks looking and pointing at drainage ditch.

Alabama Community Sues State DOT Over Flooding

Residents of Shiloh, Alabama want to hold the state department of transportation responsible for flooding caused by a highway expansion project.

July 14, 2025 - Inside Climate News

White banner with red "SPACE AVAILABLE" text hanging at top of white office building.

Congress Kills Office Conversion Tax Credit

A federal tax incentive for energy efficiency upgrades is going away next year.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Red and black pavilion with visitor information in public park in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Baker Creek Pavilion: Blending Nature and Architecture in Knoxville

Knoxville’s urban wilderness planning initiative unveils the "Baker Creek Pavilion" to increase the city's access to green spaces.

July 13, 2025 - Dezeen

Intersection with sign for Gillett Square in East London, UK with brick buildings with ground floor storefronts.

‘Architectural Epidemiology:’ Centering Public Health in Urban Design

A new book asks, what if cities were designed around health equity?

July 10, 2025 - Next City

Aerial view of heavily damaged mobile homes after a hurricane in Florida.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households

Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

July 8, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Person in black clothing and helmet with red DoorDash box on back of electric bike on urban street.

DC to Launch E-Bike Delivery Pilot

The District will fund low-cost e-bikes and provide charging and battery swap stations for delivery workers to encourage e-bikes as an alternative to driving for food deliveries.

July 7, 2025 - WUSA 9

Aerial view of new neifhborhood under construction with enpty lots in foreground.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won

A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

July 2, 2025 - CALmatters

People swimming in Rhine River on a sunny day with low-rise, dense buildings along waterfront in background.

Is Your City Swimmable?

An interview with organizers of the inaugural Swimmable Cities Summit, which took place this June 22-24 in Rotterdam, NL.

June 30, 2025 - Mark Tirpak

Heat map of extreme heat in rural U.S. communities.

Data: In Rural America, Mobile Homes are Heat Traps

Extreme heat is often viewed as an urban problem, but rural communities face their own unique risks.

June 29, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Man walking down city sidewalk with sweat on back of his t-shirt on hot day.

Index Measures Impact of Heat on Pedestrian Activity

When heat and humidity are high, people are more likely to opt for cars when possible.

June 26, 2025 - Streetsblog Mass

Road sign with EXTREME HEAT ALERT surrounded by orange traffic cones

Hundreds of New Yorkers Hospitalized Due to Extreme Heat

A brutal heat wave is causing hospitalizations for heat-related illnesses, an increasingly common threat as summers get warmer.

June 26, 2025 - Gothamist

People at beach on sunny day doing clean-up of plastic bottles and other trash.

Plastic Bag Bans Actually Worked

U.S. coastal areas with plastic bag bans or fees saw significant reductions in plastic bag pollution — but plastic waste as a whole is growing.

June 24, 2025 - Fast Company

Agrilus auroguttatus image

Southern Californians Survey Trees for Destructive Oak Pest

Hundreds of volunteers across five counties participated in the first Goldspotted Oak Borer Blitz, surveying oak trees for signs of the invasive beetle and contributing valuable data to help protect Southern California’s native woodlands.

June 22, 2025 - UC ANR Green Blog

Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

June 20, 2025 - The Daily Yonder

Two small wooden one-story homes in Florida with floodwaters at their doors.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?

With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

June 16, 2025 - Governing

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.