Some homeowners are using their backyards as habitat for wildlife, providing food, water, shelter and a place to rear offspring for a variety of creatures.
"Snug in his three-story treehouse of a home during a thunderstorm, Evan Earle Jr. talked about the benefits of a yard with native Florida vegetation and very little grass."
"Earle, 47, is not the only one who enjoys his landscape. He shares it at times with raccoons, opossums, cardinals, a red-shouldered hawk, ospreys, blue jays, mockingbirds, hummingbirds, squirrels, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and more.
Recently the National Wildlife Federation recognized Earle's yard as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Earle joins the ranks of about 180 other Pinellas homeowners with certified yards."
FULL STORY: Wildlife Welcome Here

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.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens
Descanso Gardens, one of Los Angeles County’s most beloved botanical destinations, is welcoming spring with 35,000 tulips in bloom, creating a breathtaking seasonal display expected to peak in late March.

Ratepayers Could Be on the Hook for Data Centers’ Energy Use
Without regulatory changes, data centers’ high demand for energy would be subsidized by taxpayers, according to a new study.
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.
City of Albany
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