The first 'firescape' garden is in Santa Barbara, CA, and stands as an educational tool for landscaping homes for fire protection.
"In a nutshell, the objective is to break the outermost masses of vegetation into an archipelago of plantings, offer minimal fuel leading toward the structure, and maintain an inner ring of fire-retardant plants like moisture-rich succulents and well-thinned shrubs.
For those, like my two friends, whose homes were miraculously spared, I have to wonder how much the landscaping was a factor. I had lunch with one of them today, a landscape architect with a home at the intersection of Stanwood and Sycamore Canyon - Hell Central, from what I've heard. Though she's "in the biz" she admitted that she ignored some of the basic principles of fire-wise landscaping. Perhaps this was where the firefighters made a stand."
FULL STORY: Firescape for Edhat

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

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?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Minneapolis Bans Rent-Setting Software
Four cities have enacted restrictions on algorithmic software that can inflate rent costs.

Oakland to Add 244 New EV Chargers
Oakland plans to launch its new charging network at eight locations by the end of 2025.

Jane Goodall Inspires with Message of Hope, Resilience, and Environmental Action
Speaking in Pasadena, Jane Goodall offered a hopeful and inspirational message, urging global compassion, environmental responsibility, and the power of individual action to shape a better future.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland