Commemorate the 51st World Environment Day with this curated list of Planetizen articles highlighting research and projects that promote a healthier, more sustainable world.
It’s World Environment Day, a global celebration that has been held annually on June 5 since 1973. According to its official website, “World Environment Day is a global platform for inspiring positive change. People from more than 150 countries participate in this United Nations international day, which celebrates environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world.” This year the event is being hosted by Saudi Arabia with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.
In honor of this global commemorative date, Planetizen’s editors have pulled together a roundup of recent articles highlighting studies and initiatives in cities and rural communities across the United States aimed at protecting and enhancing environmental and public health.
Here’s a list of recent headlines highlighting inspiring environmental research and projects:
- Planting for the Future: The Urban Trees of Tomorrow
- WHO Resource Database Links Planning and Public Health
- Planting Trees Where They are Most Needed
- The Benefits of Trees
- Regenerating and Healing Land Through Parks
- Sibling Study Highlights Impact of Green Neighborhoods on Public Health
- The Future of Federal Funding for Green City Initiatives
- Transforming Landfills into Parks
- The Promise of Urban Food Forests
- Rewilding the Golf Course
- New Documentary Highlights Regenerative Agriculture and Climate Change
- Latest Trends in Parks and Recreation
- Rochester Updating Urban Forest Master Plan
- Planning for Trees in Los Angeles
- San Francisco's Presidio Earns Fifth 'Green Flag' Award
- Tree Folio NYC Aims to Monitor Urban Forest in Real Time
How Los Angeles' Urban Parks Battle Climate Change
An overview of how Los Angeles County’s Department of Parks and Recreation is creating projects that tackle the effects of climate change, by planner Clement Lau.
A Plan to Expand Tree Canopy Across Dayton
Dayton is developing an urban forest master plan, using a $2 million grant to expand its tree canopy, address decades of tree loss, and enhance environmental equity across the city.
New Interactive Tool Helps Cities Assess and Strengthen Urban Tree Canopies
A new national tree canopy assessment tool, available at TreesAtWork.org, provides high-resolution data to help cities track tree cover changes, prioritize planting efforts, and enhance urban resilience.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
Downtown Los Angeles on the Rise: A Promising 2025
Fueled by new developments, cultural investments, and a growing dining scene, downtown Los Angeles is poised for significant growth in 2025, despite challenges from recent wildfires and economic uncertainties.
How Single-Family Conversions Benefit Both Homeowners and Cities
Converting single-family homes to triplexes can ease the housing crisis and offer affordable, flexible options for more households. Why is it largely illegal?
Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification
Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.
Supporting Indigenous Land Reclamation Through Design
Harvard students collaborated with the Sac and Fox Nation to develop strategies for reclaiming and co-managing ancestral lands in Illinois, supporting Indigenous sovereignty through design, cultural storytelling, and economic planning.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
