Environmental Regulations
The Environmental Regulation Overturned by the New Interior Secretary on Day One
A dramatic entrance on horseback preceded one of Ryan Zinke's first actions as Secretary of the Department of Interior—rescinding guidance issued by the Fish & Wildlife Service to phase out the use of toxic, lead ammunition on federal lands.
A Warning About the Threat to the Endangered Species Act
The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board issues a strong critique of ongoing Republican efforts to gut the Endangered Species Act.
Cap-and-Trade Back on the Table in Oregon
A new report and hearings by the state's House and Senate environment committees has put a cap-and-trade policy to curb carbon emissions back in play in Salem.
The End of Federal Environmental Protection in the United States?
The end of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may not come from the hands of President Trump or Scott Pruitt, the nominee to head the agency, but from a bill introduced Feb. 3 titled, "To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency."
Federal Lands Transfer Bill Withdrawn
Facing backlash from hunting and angling groups, Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz withdrew legislation that would have transferred millions of acres of federal lands to state governments in the West. But news wasn't good for other environmental bills.
Energy and Environmental Regulations Under Attack—by Congress
Two environmental regulations enacted by the Obama Administration are expected to be rescinded under the Congressional Review Act: the Stream Protection Rule that protects water from mountaintop coal mining and limits on flaring methane emissions.
EPA: Fracking a Threat to Drinking Water
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has finally spoken out about the risks posed by fracking to drinking water supplies. The Trump Administration seems very unlikely to head the warning.
Trump Campaign Proposes the End of Federal Climate Change Funding
The Trump Campaign released a policy statement this week that puts some skin in the game on the Republican candidate's climate change denials.
The Path to Success for an Effective Carbon Tax
A Vox explainer describes the complex political, economic, and cultural obstacles to overcome in achieving a carbon tax equal to the social cost of carbon.
New Oil and Gas Drilling Rules Proving Thorny in Colorado
A goal for the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to have established new rules for oil and gas drilling is looking less likely with each fruitless hearing.
Deadly Diesel Emissions Plummeting in California
Amidst the bad publicity coming from Volkswagen's engineered fraud on diesel emissions testing comes good news from California Air Resources Board: The cancer risk from airborne toxins, most of which come from burning diesel fuel, dropped 76 percent.
Op-Ed: Regulation Has Urban Progressives Confused
According to Aaron M. Renn, left-leaning urbanists chafe against a regulatory culture their ideology supports. Favoring "regulation for thee but not for me," they want to bend the rules, but only for enterprises they like.
Coal Ash Finally Regulated—But Not as Hazardous Waste
Six years after one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history, the EPA adopted a rule to regulate a byproduct of coal power plants. The new regulation puts coal ash in the same category as household garbage, disappointing many activists.
The Political Foundation Behind America's Worst Tap Water Contamination
NPR host Linda Wertheimer interviews Evan Osnos about his current New Yorker piece on the Jan. chemical spill into W. Va.'s Elk River. His focus is less on the spill and more on the influence of Big Coal in government and how it contributed to it.
Clash of Interests Holds Back China's Environmental Efforts
Pollution is a growing problem throughout China - one that even tight-lipped public officials have been forced to acknowledge. But conflicting government interests - between state-run polluters and concerned policy-makers - are holding back fixes.
Plan for Hollywood Densification Gets Final Approval
Yesterday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a controversial new Community Plan for Hollywood, the first update since 1988, that allows increased density around transit stations, to the consternation of some neighborhood groups.
Is the Obama Administration Playing Politics With Environmental Rules?
As the campaign season nears, many of the sweeping environmental regulations that the Obama administration made headlines for enacting are being held up over concerns about their effect on the President's election campaign, Juliet Eilperin reports.
Think Environmental Rules Are Holding Up Transportation Projects? Think Again.
Brad Plumer investigates widely echoed Republican claims that environmental rules are a major reason why it takes so long to build highways and bridges, and finds scant evidence to back up the claims.
Nation's First Cap & Trade Program Approved In CA
History was made at a contentious California Air Resources Board Meeting when the board unanimously approved the nation's first Cap & Trade program to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. The program results from CA's 2006 landmark climate law, AB 32.
Jobs vs. the Environment: Can A Middle Ground Be Found?
The debate may be as old as the first environmental regulation on the federal books - do regulations kill jobs? Fresh from a Sept. 2 victory over EPA's attempt to strengthen smog regulations,Republicans will continue the effort to reduce regulations
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.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
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
