Environment
![Clse-up of "Just Say No To Over Development" yard sign on green lawn](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/6878680041_c5c2651077_c.jpg.webp?itok=QPUJPVmm)
Thinking About Right-NIMBYism
Some conservatives oppose new housing on the ground that exclusion will “save” their neighborhoods from poor people. Is there any response to these arguments?
![Seattle skyline panorama seen from Kerry Park at sunset in golden evening light with Mount Rainier in the background, Washington State, United States of America](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_343761542.jpg.webp?itok=iKnwlF77)
Washington Cities Balance Housing Development and Tree Canopy
Cities like Seattle and Bellingham are working to increase housing density while also preserving urban trees and green spaces.
![Redevelopment](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/4389669887_211bd62e13_z_0.jpg.webp?itok=7u0Dx9mD)
Anti-Displacement Measures for Brownfield Developments
A series of reports published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Smart Growth America highlights tools and policies that can help mitigate displacement pressure when recovering and developing brownfields around the United States.
![Unpaved road through Owens Lake bed with Sierra Nevada mountains in the background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2145421931.jpg.webp?itok=lVl-cwWn)
California Braces for Floods After Historic Winter Storms
Emerging from a years-long drought, the state now faces significant flood risks as temperatures rise and the abundant snowpack begins to melt.
![Old wood demolition waste, from destruction or renovation of buildings in a container on a work site in a street with a house. Wooden beams to be recycled into new building materials](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2205584817.jpg.webp?itok=hIUQ6CLc)
The Link Between Circular Building, Affordability, and Sustainability
A growing movement seeks to reduce waste in the construction industry and focus on the long-term impact of building materials.
![View of Los Angeles skyline against a bright orange sky with a palm tree at left](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1819047572.jpg.webp?itok=q_v9yyvc)
Los Angeles County Releases Updated Climate Action Plan
The revised plan reflects the county's commitment to fighting climate change and identifies strategies, measures, and actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from community activities and some municipal operations.
![Flooded street and two downed trees with downtown Houston buildings in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Hurricane_Ike_Houston_3.jpg.webp?itok=nP9ygNRk)
Houston’s ‘Ike Dike’ Won’t Adequately Protect the City
The largest project ever undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers may not be enough to protect Houston-area communities from flooding during the most severe hurricanes, according to the Corps’ own analysis.
![View from below of orange tethered hot-air balloon floating in blue sky](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2164976053.jpg.webp?itok=FCdODYCK)
New Vision for Southern California’s Great Park
The newly unveiled comprehensive plan includes a botanical garden, museums, and a 22-acre lake system.
![GIS map of Yosemite National Park](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Screen%20Shot%202023-04-23%20at%2010.29.52%20AM.png.webp?itok=ImNoPycs)
The Growing Importance of Location Intelligence
Location intelligence is transforming decision-making, with an increasing number and type of organizations modernizing operations with a geographic approach to problem-solving, planning, and prediction.
![Aerial view of Eel River running through California forest](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1914143599.jpg.webp?itok=VqKWBYSZ)
The Nation’s Most Endangered Rivers
An annual list from American Rivers highlights the waterways most at risk from climate change, poor water management, pollution, and other dangers.
![Natural gas stove with blue flame](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/1599px-Gas_stove_flame.jpg.webp?itok=3GClSbzH)
Berkeley’s First-in-Nation Natural Gas Ban Overthrown by Court Ruling
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Berkeley does not have the power to mandate electric hookups in new development because a federal rule preempts the local regulation.
![Front yard landscaped with native plants and flowers](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1443721409.jpg.webp?itok=SEF0CPmO)
Opinion: The Time for ‘Yard Reform’ is Now
Replacing lawns with native plants and grasses saves water and improves biodiversity, but some cities make the practice illegal.
![Cyclists of All Ages Enjoy a Sunday Morning Ride on the Neuse River Trail.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1997996504.jpg.webp?itok=AhMu6M8L)
The East Coast Greenway Is Stitching Together a 3,000-Mile Trail Network
The ever-evolving greenway connects biking and walking trails from Maine to Florida.
![White gazebo among green plants and trees at botanical garden](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_117459997.jpg.webp?itok=S7_XvURX)
Garden Transforms Trash Into Works of Art
South Coast Botanic Garden highlights the importance of sustainability through its latest exhibit which consists of 16 giant creatures made from beach debris that washed ashore.
![Denver, Colorado skyline with park and lake in foreground and mountains in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_669025033.jpg.webp?itok=J0FbM_M-)
Denver Residents Lack Transit Access to Local Parks
Despite an early plan to run rail lines to the city’s mountain parks, they are not easily accessible to Denverites without cars.
![Electric big rig truck plugged into charging station](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2060697971.jpg.webp?itok=Nk264Nwh)
Can Federal Emissions Standards Hasten the Transition to EVs?
The EPA unveiled two far-reaching rules to tighten emission standards for light, medium and heavy duty vehicles that can only be met by transitioning to zero-emission vehicles. The proposal is certain to be challenged in court as an agency overreach.
![Herd of bison grazing in green field with snow-capped Wyoming mountains in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_353852219.jpg.webp?itok=VGlfTrbM)
Public Lands Rule Would Center Conservation
After decades of protecting extractive interests, federal law could reverse course and put conservation on par with other uses.
![Grassy wildlife crossing overpass over a multilane road in The Netherlands](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1652955616.jpg.webp?itok=3secNFd6)
USDOT Federal Grant Program Will Fund Wildlife Crossings
The funding will support projects that reduce the risk of vehicle-wildlife collisions and improve habitat connectivity.
![Aerial view of Cape Town, South Africa with development on coast and mountains in background](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_507382921.jpg.webp?itok=mGTrBFVL)
Study: Inequity Surfaces During Water Crises
As the world’s water supply becomes more threatened, the wealthiest people are exacerbating the crisis through non-essential uses while the poor are the first to lose access to water.
![Rendering of California high-speed rail train viaduct with arches](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/CAHSR_SJ_River_Viaduct-scaled.jpg.webp?itok=uhcW_udS)
CA High-Speed Rail’s Latest Challenge: Floodwater
The historic precipitation that fell on the state of California in past months poses a unique and unanticipated threat to the state’s big infrastructure project in the Central Valley.
Pagination
Placer County
City of Morganton
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Dongguan Binhaiwan Bay Area Management Committee
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Indiana Borough
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