Cities & Towns

As the world continues to urbanize, we’re investigating and analyzing how communities of all sizes can be vibrant, just and sustainable communities for the health of residents and our planet.

Magazine

Story

UCLA earns top 10 spot among environmental science universities

Claire Griffiths

UCLA, already ranked the No. 1 public university in the country for the eighth consecutive year by the U.S. News & World Report, has now been recognized as the No. 10 university in Niche.com’s annual “Best Colleges for Environmental Science” rankings

In the News

Announcements

Featured in L.A. Times—Edith de Guzman, Ph.D. ’23, reimagines L.A. climate inequities through art at Descanso Gardens

Featured in this week’s Los Angeles Times Climate and Environment coverage, Edith de Guzman, Ph.D. ‘23, brings climate and heat inequities to the spotlight. This summer at Descano Gardens, a…

Edith de Guzman stands inside an art installation of colorful hanging panels, holding a rolled paper. She is co-curator of the “Roots of Cool” exhibition on shade equity at Descanso Gardens, shown in front of artist Cidne Hart’s piece “Traversing the Warming Forest.”

Announcements

Featured in L.A. Times—Wilson Sherman, Ph.D. student, on how urban policies shape wildlife behavior in Los Angeles

Featured in this week’s Los Angeles Times Climate and Environment coverage, UCLA Ph.D. student Wilson Sherman shares insights on how inconsistent policies, surveillance infrastructure and fragmented governance affect where wildlife…

A mountain lion leaps across a grassy area in front of a police car in Brentwood, California, during a 2022 incident that led to an elementary school lockdown.

Announcements

LARC Launches #HeatSafeLA Campaign to Raise Extreme Heat Awareness

As summer temperatures rise, the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC), in partnership with the LA County Department of Public Health, is launching the fourth year…


Headline

Stephanie Pincetl for The Economist—How will calamity change Los Angeles?

UCLA IoES Professor Stephanie Pincetl discusses Los Angeles’ rebuilding efforts after the devastating wildfires for The Economist, asserting that the city should use this moment to address its housing crisis…

Old wooden house on fire by Mattias Bokinge, Canva

Headline

Daniel Swain for the Gaurdian—Strongest winds in over a decade could bring fire risk to southern California

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses the extreme wind event forecasted for Southern California for the Guardian, sharing how the strongest winds in over a decade could heighten fire risks…

Videos

UCLA’s Comprehensive Sustainability Plan

UCLA has a long history of sustainability leadership — from early energy efficiency efforts and the formation of the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability in the 1990s, to the establishment of…

How Climate Change Will Impact California, Interview with Dr. Alan Barreca

Interview on The Young Turks ScIQ with UCLA environmental economist Alan Barreca by Jayde Lovell about climate change effects on public health, vulnerable communities, and the state of California. They also…

Publications