Climate Change

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Oahu

New Law in Hawaii Makes Developers Consider Sea-Level Rise

Hawaii Governor David Ige signed a bill that requires developers to consider rising seas in all environmental impact studies.

June 18, 2018 - Next City

New York Sandy Power Outage

Wanted: A Regional Planning Approach to Climate Change

The effects of climate change—rising seas, extreme weather—will require coordinated action around the New York region. Regional planning, in other words.

June 18, 2018 - Curbed NY

Solar and Wind Energy

Bill Gates's Coalition of Rich Investors Buying In to Energy Storage

To reach goals in reducing emissions, Gates's group is looking to invest in technology that can provide energy in efficient ways by supplying clean power when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing.

June 15, 2018 - Quartz

Sea Level Rise

2017 Set a Record for 'Sunny Day Flooding'

Expect more of the same in 2018 and 2019.

June 14, 2018 - The Guardian

Green

The Search for a New Green Building Standard

The need to slash emissions from buildings is increasingly urgent, and critics say LEED won't get us there.

June 8, 2018 - CityLab

Congestion

Trump Administration Eliminates U.S. DOT's Emission Reductions Goals

The Federal Highway Administration recently announced the end of policy requiring state and regional departments of transportation to make goals to reduce emissions and track progress.

June 5, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Keeper of the Plains

A Wetter Midwest Challenges Planning and Infrastructure

FiveThirtyEight explores how planners in the Midwest are trying to get ahead of an intensifying climate.

June 1, 2018 - FiveThirtyEight

Miami

Where Republican Mayors Are Taking Leadership on Climate Change

(Even if they don't talk about it very much.)

June 1, 2018 - The Conversation

Utah

The Nation’s Fastest Growing Town Needs More Water

Cheap water flows freely to the golf courses of St. George, Utah, but all the new residents mean it’s going to have to increase supply or reduce demand—or both.

May 31, 2018 - CityLab

Marlyand

Maryland's Floods a Terrible Tragedy, and a Sign of More to Come

The sprawling, asphalt communities of U.S. cities, built as a result of mid-20th century planning, will meet terrible consequences during the extreme weather events of climate change.

May 30, 2018 - Slate

Floating Village Proposed for Protection Against Floods and Quakes

A "floating village" has been proposed for a San Jose neighborhood, with building riding on pontoons as a safeguard against repeated flooding.

May 25, 2018 - San Jose Mercury News

Caution

Mapping the Repeated Occurrence of Natural Disasters

The New York Times publishes an interactive feature that illustrates the stubbornness of natural disasters (or humans, in the face of natural disasters).

May 25, 2018 - The New York Times

Earthquake damage

Planning for Structural Safety in an Era of Environmental Risks

Resilience to the impacts of climate change and other forms of natural disaster will require new levels of safety in the built environment.

May 23, 2018 - Kayla Matthews

Drought

Mapping the Effects of Human Intervention on the Global Water Supply

Climate change is only part of the story, but humans have left a detectable footprint on the distribution of the global water supply.

May 21, 2018 - Grist

Miami

Senate Bill Would Fund Climate Change Resilience in Coastal Communities

Grant and loan funding, new research, and a competition are some of the ideas included in the Coastal Communities Adaptation Act.

May 17, 2018 - U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation

Los Angeles

If You're Ignoring Transportation, You're Not Much of a Climate Mayor

Encouraging compact land use by allowing density, building near transit, and eliminating parking minimums can have a powerful effect on the emissions a city generates.

May 13, 2018 - Streetsblog

Chicago Lake Michigan Trees

Trees Are Worth the Investment

Trees improve cities by controlling temperature, absorbing water and carbon dioxide, and adding beauty.

May 12, 2018 - The Conversation

San Francisco Bay

Climate Change Already Obvious in California

We've all seen the maps that show the water rising around the edges of costal and waterfront communities as sea-level rise and climate change take effect. A new report shows the effects that have already changed the state of California.

May 12, 2018 - Sacramento Bee

Louisville Bus

Electric Buses Slowly Gain Momentum in U.S. Transit Systems

Industry experts project growth for electric buses, which could have big impacts on air quality and emissions in cities around the world.

May 3, 2018 - Vox

Elevator

Waiting for a Greener Elevator

Moving an 80,000-pound metal box means using energy, and elevators can account for 2-10% of a buildings energy use.

May 3, 2018 - Smithsonian Magazine

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.