A NASA study finds that no irrigated vegetation covers more surface in the United States than the collection of lawns that are so important to the American identity.
"Americans’ lawns now cover an area three times larger than any irrigated crop in the U.S.," according to a post by Rob Wile.
"According to a new study [pdf] from NASA scientists in collaboration with researchers in the Mountain West, there is now an estimated total of 163,812 square kilometers, or more than 63,000 square miles, of lawn in America — about the size of Texas."
The study focused on the environmental of the country's lawns, finding good news and bad news. For good news, lawns remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. For bad news, many lawns uses up to 900 liters of water a day.
FULL STORY: The American lawn is now the largest single ‘crop’ in the U.S.
Let the Lawns Go
According to one Dallas suburbanite, the American lawn is a "decadent and unsustainable totem[s] of middle-class prosperity."
Arizona Native Community Launches First Solar-Over-Canal Project
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Southwest Utah Lawn ‘Buyback’ Program Pays Off
Washington County has dramatically reduced per-capita water use, but the region’s explosive growth means increased demand for water.
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?
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.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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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.
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