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
The Sixth Extinction Has Likely Already Begun
Scientists believe we have entered a sixth mass extinction event, calling for conservation and documentation of species before they are lost forever.
Land Use Patterns Connected to Biodiversity Crisis
As many as 1 million species are at risk of extinction if the world, including planning professionals and politicians, doesn't make big changes.
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.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service