NASA

What Does Sustainability Mean in Space?
NASA is developing a sustainability strategy to clean up space debris and plan for the future as near-earth orbit becomes more cluttered.

Train on the Moon? US to Explore Lunar Railway
Program proponents say this “visionary” endeavor “heralds a new era of human presence and economic activity beyond Earth.”

Mars Perseverance Rover and the Future Colonization of Mars
The 2020s is the decade of Mars. Last week NASA's Perseverance rover became the sixth American robot to land on the red planet, and the third visitor this month. Where are we going with Mars, who will get us there, and what is the ultimate goal?

Land Use the Subject of Latest IPCC Report
Not urban land use, but in the literal sense: land used to produce food, graze livestock, supply drinking water, grow trees, and sequester carbon. As the climate warms and the population grows, crop yields will decrease and land will be degraded.

NASA's Urban Plan for Space Settlements
A 1977 NASA publication laid out a plan for the future of space settlements. The future of space looks very urban.

NASA Wants to Build 1,930 Rental Units in the Silicon Valley
NASA Ames wants to add a lot of housing to a 45-acre site at Moffett Field in the Silicon Valley. The new housing would give NASA employees more housing options in an expensive and impacted market.

EPA Administrator Transitions from Climate Change Skeptic to Denier
Perhaps there never really was much difference between 'skepticism' and 'denial'. Scott Pruitt certainly proved that on Thursday when he answered CNBC's Joe Kernen's question if carbon emissions are the primary cause of climate change.

Cape Canaveral in Flux
Caught between the end of the space shuttle and the potential rise of private sector spaceflight, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center present a unique land use challenge.

Mapping the Trends in Pollution
Good news for the United States is found in a recent series of maps by NASA. Air pollution has significantly improved around the country.
Study: Climate Change Turning World's Lakes Into Hot Tubs
The message of a new study funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation: don't forget freshwater when considering the impacts of climate change. Lakes and other bodies of water are threatened by potentially catastrophic vulnerabilities.
The Incredible Sinking Central Valley
Parts of the nation's food basket, the San Joaquin Valley in California, are sinking at two inches per month, not per year. Known as subsidence, it results from over-pumping of groundwater by farmers desperate to save their crops in the epic drought.
NASA Looking for Help Planning the Built Environment—On Mars
You've got big ideas about how to make life better for lots of people. But are your ideas big enough for a home on Mars?
Really Bad News from Antarctica
For those who thought that glacial melting due to climate change mainly affected Greenland and mountain glaciers like in the Himalayas, think again. A new NASA/UC Irvine study reports that melting of West Antarctica's glaciers "appears unstoppable".
Developing a Block-by-Block Understanding of the Impacts of Climate Change
The best models of the impacts of climate change have been devoted to understanding global, or even national, changes. But NASA has devoted significant computational resources to projecting future climate conditions at the neighborhood level.

Friday Eye Candy: A Billion-Pixel Panorama of Mars
The Mars Curiosity Rover has sent us some pretty cool stuff since landing on the red planet in August of 2012. The latest souvenir of its trip is a billion-pixel panorama of the planet's surface.
What Can NASA Learn About Fighting Climate Change By Observing L.A.?
In the mountains surrounding L.A. stand some of the most advanced environment analyzing technology in the U.S. The result of this analysis could be "a groundbreaking development in the worldwide fight against global warming."

NASA Gives Light to the Globe at Night
This week, scientists unveiled unprecedented images of the Earth at night, as captured by a new NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite.
Friday Eye Candy: The Universe is Big
The Hubble Space Telescope has been busy for the past decade. After looking at the same spot in the sky for a total of 2 million seconds it has produced what NASA calls the "farthest-ever" portrait of the universe, reports Rebecca J. Rosen.
Is Space Elevator Ready for Liftoff?
Alex Goldmark reports on the new NASA-inspired space elevator design that is primed for testing and could make it possible for billionaires to step foot on the moon sooner than later.
James Hansen: Extreme Weather Linked to Climate Change
NASA scientist James Hansen, considered to be the 'godfather of global warming' has co-authored a new report that shows the connection between 'extreme weather events', such as the drought most of the U.S. is now experiencing, and climate change.
Pagination
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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research