The American Lung Association has failed 2/3rds of California's counties in a recent study of levels of smog and soot.
"Altogether, 38 counties, mostly grouped in Southern California and the Central Valley, were given failing grades for their levels of the two air pollutants. Another 16 - including San Mateo, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Marin and Monterey - received an "A" under the lung association's 10th annual "State of the Air 2009" report.
"Although there have been some improvements, the health and lives of millions of Californians are at risk because of our dirty air," said Dr. Tony Gerber, a San Francisco physician and volunteer with the lung association, during a telephone news briefing Tuesday.
While local air quality officials welcomed the scrutiny, they also quibbled with how the grades were measured: The study lumped together areas with heavy smog, such as Los Angeles, with counties that had moderate levels of the pollutants, such as Santa Clara, giving both an 'F.'"
FULL STORY: Some Bay Area counties get 'F' on new smog report card
Comment: EPA Cuts will Send Atlanta Back to Eye-burning Ozone, Lung-damaging Smog, and Raw Sewage in the Chattahoochee River
A veteran political journalist takes stock of the hard-earned ground Georgia stands to lose with slashed environmental protection.
Port Logjam Contributing to Dismal L.A. Air Quality
Emissions from container ships idling outside Southern California's ports are adding to pollution that has blanketed the region in a noxious layer of smog.
Another EPA Rollback, Tailor-Made for Gov. Walker and Southeast Wisconsin
Politics and economics win over public health in Racine County as the EPA exempted the area around the Foxconn's massive facility from meeting stricter ozone pollution standards, saving the company from investing in smog-reducing equipment.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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