Environment
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Barnes, Elvert. (2019). "IMG_6415" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
OpinionWe can't forget public transit, walking and cycling in the push to decarbonize transportation
Electric vehicles have lawmakers' attention as one tool to mitigate the climate crisis. But perpetuating private vehicle use won't move the U.S. toward a more equitable transportation future.
By Pooja Shah • Sept. 23, 2021 -
Permission granted by BIG and Bucharest Studio
A tech billionaire wants to build a smart city in the desert. Can it be sustainable?
City and water experts weigh in on whether sustainability is possible for Diapers.com founder Marc Lore's proposed “city of the future” in the water-scarce American desert.
By Adina Solomon • Sept. 20, 2021 -
Connecticut falls behind state's GHG goals: 'We told you so,' says Acadia Center
Despite the rise in emissions, the electric sector "shows encouraging results," the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said. Proposed new gas projects are a step in the wrong direction, though, advocates warn.
By Robert Walton • Sept. 14, 2021 -
Tim Boyle/Getty Images via Getty Images
3 cities enter accelerator program to help achieve 100% zero-emissions commercial vehicles by 2030
Chicago, San Diego and San Jose, California, each won $100,000 to reduce emissions through local initiatives that include a cargo e-bike pilot and zero-emission neighborhood zone.
By Cailin Crowe • Sept. 03, 2021 -
Permission granted by Mary Braswell / UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Cities use art to combat extreme urban heat
As urban areas struggle to cope with scorching temperatures, the Boston-area Metropolitan Area Planning Council is helping local leaders partner with community groups and artists to develop creative cooling infrastructure.
By Kat Friedrich • Aug. 23, 2021 -
DOE
Cities to test commercial EV fleets, smart traffic, curbside management using federal funds
Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and Santa Monica, California, are among the cities set to explore commercial electric trucks, smart loading zones in high-traffic areas, and other innovations with Energy Department funding.
By Jason Plautz • Aug. 17, 2021 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
As heat island effects worsen due to climate change, cities try to adapt
Cities are adding cooling measures like trees and lighter pavement to reduce their urban heat island effects as record temperatures sweep the nation.
By Katie Pyzyk • Aug. 17, 2021 -
Drew Angerer via Getty Images
OpinionCurbing climate change requires an end to driving in cities
New U.N. climate report underscores the need to invest in infrastructure that encourages active mobility, get people back on public transit, and have cities reclaim roadways, writes Lime CEO Wayne Ting.
By Wayne Ting • Aug. 13, 2021 -
David McNew via Getty Images
New initiative urges contractors to work with owners to reduce building emissions
The effort aims to create policies that lower emissions from the built environment, establish practices that shrink contractors' carbon footprint, and encourage clients to pursue more climate-friendly buildings.
By Joe Bousquin • Aug. 05, 2021 -
Peter Macdiarmid via Getty Images
Despite limited participation, advocates see potential for Northeast transportation cap-and-invest plan
Only four of the over a dozen original participants of the Transportation and Climate Initiative signed on to a final program to cut transportation emissions. Backers say there's still a bright future.
By Jason Plautz • July 29, 2021 -
Jeff Gentner via Getty Images via Getty Images
'We have got to do something': Cities behind on climate goals as extreme weather worsens
Funding and staffing shortfalls and a lack of buy-in from city workers are impeding progress, a Bloomberg Associates report states. It calls for savvy messaging and regional collaborations.
By Danielle McLean • July 27, 2021 -
Washington, DC-area utility outlines plan to meet city climate goals
The clean energy approach would include focuses on electric vehicles, building decarbonization and a variety of grid modernization technologies. The nation's capital is aiming for 100% renewable energy by 2032.
By Robert Walton • July 22, 2021 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
Billions more needed to address climate infrastructure needs of US cities: report
Cities need at least $10.6 billion to fund more than 300 sustainable infrastructure projects, according to a CDP survey of 97 U.S. cities.
By Jason Plautz • July 20, 2021 -
Challenge to Berkeley gas regulation dismissed, a win for cities in carbon emissions fight
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit last week that challenged the city's restrictions on natural gas in new low-rise residential buildings, a major boost for local governments looking to follow suit.
By Chris Teale • July 16, 2021 -
Becky Phan
Chicago creates new waste strategy to tackle low recycling rate
Unlike other major cities like New York and Los Angeles, Chicago has not set a zero waste target. The city's chief sustainability officer says the focus now is more so on "interim steps," from reducing food waste to recycling textiles.
By Maria Rachal • July 16, 2021 -
Stefani Reynolds / Stringer via Getty Images
Too few companies advocate for climate-friendly policies despite lofty goals: report
Only around 40% of the country's top 100 firms lobby for green legislation, according to sustainability nonprofit Ceres. We have "run out of time to waste," a spokesperson said.
By Chris Teale • July 13, 2021 -
Permission granted by Cailin Crowe
Cities along Great Lakes will need $2B to address coastal damage: survey
Despite 95% of city officials reporting they’re highly or moderately concerned about coastal damage, just 11% say they have a “high level of capacity” to respond, a Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative survey finds.
By Jason Plautz • July 13, 2021 -
The image by Reinhold Möller is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
WRI names Rosario, Argentina, as 'Prize for Cities' winner
The city's sustainable food initiative, a program that addresses inequalities and the effects of climate change by providing low-income residents with access to underused land to grow food, led to its win.
By Chris Teale • June 29, 2021 -
Haugland Bowen, Katie. (2014). "Houston Skyline" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
San Diego, Houston detail paths for cities to purchase renewable energy
Meeting clean energy goals can require different tools like community choice aggregation and renewable energy certificates, EPA and city officials say.
By Jason Plautz • June 22, 2021 -
New bill would tax polluters, redirect funds to impacted communities
The Save Our Future Act would invest millions in emissions reduction programs and help areas reliant on fossil fuels transition away from them through direct payments, career training, business development and other programs.
By Chris Teale • June 18, 2021 -
Cate Gillon via Getty Images
Low-carbon concrete bill advances in New York
The bill takes aim at the emissions-heavy built environment by developing state guidelines for using greener concrete products and climate performance standards for state construction projects.
By Jason Plautz • June 14, 2021 -
Dallas adopts its first urban forest master plan
The plan follows an earlier heat island management study that found the nation's ninth-most-populous city was heating up more rapidly than every other city in the U.S. outside of Phoenix.
By Maria Rachal • June 11, 2021 -
Permission granted by EcoPact
Baltimore contractor pilots low-carbon concrete product
The new concrete formulation is designed to cut the material's embodied carbon by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement-based concrete, the maker says.
By Jeffrey Steele • June 04, 2021 -
Tampa, Florida, creates resilience plan to prepare for next crisis
The road map, which officials say is the first to be released during or after the coronavirus pandemic, calls for more affordable housing and broadband access in addition to climate-ready infrastructure.
By Chris Teale • June 03, 2021 -
David McNew via Getty Images
Lower-income ZIP code residents feel worse effects of extreme heat, ozone pollution: study
Policymakers should prioritize resources in poorer neighborhoods and develop better warning systems, according to a study analyzing hospitalizations across ZIP codes in California.
By Jason Plautz • May 28, 2021
