A new study puts a number of the risk of land use to the planet's biodiversity.

"As many as 1,700 species are facing extinction in the next half-century, thanks to humans reshaping their natural habitats," reports Chase Purdy.
That news delivered in a study by Yale researchers published recently in the Nature Climate Change journal. The study lists species, including many that will be familiar to the layperson, according to Purdy: "monarch butterflies, red-crowned cranes, bearcats, and Siamese crocodiles—all of them threatened by the same, almost-certain doom."
The complicity spreads beyond the geographic reach of the extinctions: "even if some of the animals live in remote parts of the planet, people in the the [sic] developing world are still complicit in their demise. The demand for tropical hardwood floors, palm oil, and soybeans—among other things—fundamentally reshapes habitats so drastically that life for many of these animals becomes too tough to navigate."
FULL STORY: Human land use will likely drive 1,700 species to extinction

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

How the ‘Direct Vision’ Design Approach Saves Lives
Designing large trucks to ensure better visibility for drivers can reduce fatal crashes and improve workplace safety.

San Diego Swaps Parking Lane for Kid-Friendly Mini Park
The block-long greenway will feature interactive play equipment and landscaping.

Tracking the Invisible: Methane Leaks From LA’s Neighborhood Oil Sites
Environmental advocates are using infrared technology to monitor and document methane leaks from neighborhood oil sites, filling regulatory gaps and pushing for stronger protections to safeguard community health and the climate.
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