Blogs

The Environment Is Now Front and Center in Planning

The environment is now front and center in planning, writes Tom Daniels, author of "The Environmental Planning Handbook."

August 4, 2016

What’s the Future of Farmland for Food Production?

With our country's population and food insecurity on the rise, it's more important than ever before for planners to carefully consider the impact land use decisions could have on a community's ability to access healthy food.

July 26, 2016

Beacon Hill’s Enchanted Food Forest

Sandy Pernitz, the Seattle city staff person who works directly with the Beacon Food Forest, tells the tale of how the community rallied around an innovative project in food systems planning.

July 22, 2016

Using Green Coastal Infrastructure to Address Resilience

Nicole Faghin, LEED AP, a coastal management specialist at Washington Sea Grant, writes about the Green Shores for Homes project.

July 19, 2016

Announcing Planning Oregon, an Initiative for Statewide Future Planning

Faculty members at Portland State University explain Planning Oregon, an initiative to establish the school as a focal point of research and innovative practices for the statewide land-use planning program.

July 15, 2016

Chicago's Pullman Neighborhood Ventures into a Greener Industrial Age

Chicago's Pullman neighborhood is turning a new leaf with green rooftops from New York's Gotham Greens.

July 14, 2016

Play 'Solar Powering Sunnyside' to Sharpen Your Solar Skills

A new land-use planning exercise can help communities start a conversation about local solar energy use.

July 6, 2016

Partnering with Realtors for Smart Growth

The National Association of Realtors partners with community leaders and planners for Smart Growth.

June 28, 2016

Washington Planners Are Rising to Meet Global Challenges

Big Ideas for Washington’s Future has produced a website and a variety of models for practicing planners, education programs for the public and elected officials, and partnerships with other organizations covering diverse topics

June 15, 2016

Automated Vehicles and the Next Great Transformation of the Built Environment

Researchers at Florida State University and the Florida Department of Transportation document how automated vehicles may transform the built environment in coming decades.

Environmental Justice Through Planning

Many planners have heard of environmental justice, but there have been challenges implementing it during the planning process. For a variety of reasons, the barriers are coming down.

May 27, 2016

House and Senate Move Toward Conference on Energy, Debate LWCF

The House and Senate are moving closer to a conference on sweeping energy legislation, which includes a debate around the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

May 20, 2016

APA Staff Takes Part in National Bike to Work Day

APA staff share their thoughts on National Bike to Work Day and why supporting bicycle infrastructure is important.

Legislators Express Support for Brownfields Reauthorization in House Hearing

Members of Congress express support for the EPA Brownfields program’s success at revitalizing neighborhoods and spurring economic development.

May 2, 2016

Playability and the Play Everywhere Challenge

KaBOOM! is launching the Play Everywhere Challenge, which will provide $1 million to fund creative ideas to create playful installations in everyday places.