Nature begins here: The essential role of nature centers and outdoor programs
Nature Centers play an important role in connecting people to the natural world, especially in densely populated urbanized areas such as Los Angeles County. La County Network of Nature Center is part of the country’s most ecologically diverse landscape with over 10 million residents, providing important access points for education, recreation and protection. These spaces […]
Opinion: California’s clean transportation efforts do not meet the needs of low-income residents
In an opinion article by Smart Cities Dive, Marta Anadón Rosinach argues that California’s approach to clean transportation leaves the lowest income residents who need the most. According to Rosinach, “It’s time to rethink the definition of ‘clean mobility’ and include fair access. A zero-emission vehicle may qualify for paper, but it’s not helpful if […]
Report: 1/5 of Houston homes in flooded areas
More than 20% of Harris County housing units are located in major flood areas, according to the 2025 Houston report. As John Brunnen explains in Urban Edge, the report “found a strong link between the neighborhood share of single-flood plains single-family homes and the poverty rates in their neighborhoods.” Many homes in the area are […]
Chicago eliminates minimum parking near the transport
The writings at Streetsblog Chicago, Steven Vance and John Greenfield praise the city of Chicago’s recent move to eliminate parking minimums near train stations and bus lines. The new rules amend the city’s 2022 connected community ordinance to eliminate the deficit and create a building without parking “to the right” without parking. “Development of locations […]
Oregon approves the ambitious framework of “microgrids”
This article by Alex Brown was originally published in the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Oregon lawmakers have passed a pair of bills to enable “microgrids” within a large power system. Microgrids are essentially local “islands” of energy generation and storage systems, connecting to utilities, but can operate independently if necessary. Many are designed to serve community […]
Historic investments in LA County parks and open spaces
The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) has launched a record $58 million competitive grant program to invest in parks, trails and open spaces throughout the county. This historic initiative is the largest grant program in RPOSD history and is designed to support community-driven, climate-smart, shovel-enabled projects. A minimum of 30% […]
Albuquerque continues to commit to free transportation
Albuquerque eliminated the fare for the public bus system almost two years ago. In the following city work, Erin Lord outlines some of the impact the free fare program has had on city residents. According to Road, “nearly 90% of Albuquerque bus riders have household incomes of less than $35,000 a year, and have no […]
Why Jeff Speck is a “Zoning Abolitionist”
This summer Planetizen’s sibling, Planetizen Courses, began rolling out an epic, 7-course series on walkability, led by the one and only Jeff Speck. A condensation of his years of experience as an urban planner, Harvard lecturer, walkability advocate and new urbanist, the course is Jeff’s attempt to download everything he knows to an entire generation […]
Can planners adopt the role of “place”?
Sherpa’s philosophy, by Chuck Wolf and Google Gemini Pro Today, a city-related dialogue, Wolf focuses on everyday reality rather than the grand vision of a beautiful city. Beyond the critique of architecture and urban design, cities and towns face an ever-evolving dialogue on affordability crises, complex pushes for zoning revisions, and constantly evolving dialogues about […]
California is moving forward with its 30×30 conservation target
California is steadily making progress towards its ambitious 30×30 conservation goals, an initiative to protect 30% of the state’s land and coastal waters by 2030. As reported by Lila Saidman, the state currently protects 26.1% of the land and 21.9% of the coastal waters, representing significant talent since Miles’ recent launch in two new miles. […]