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

Andy Kleinhesselink (left) prepares to give students a tour of Sage Hill at UCLA

Story

Polishing One of Westwood’s Hidden Gems

Maya Parra

UCLA Extension Landscape Architecture students took part in a hands-on charette to enhance Sage Hill, UCLA’s outdoor learning space. Their proposals aimed to improve accessibility while conserving native plants and wildlife, providing students with valuable real-world design experience.

In the News

Headline

Jon Christensen for Smithsonian Magazine—How the Arrival of an Endangered Bird Indicates What’s Possible for the L.A. River

UCLA IoES Professor Jon Christensen discusses the restoration of the Los Angeles River for Smithsonian Magazine, sharing how efforts to ‘rewild’ the Taylor Yard area have led to the return…

A view of the soft-bottomed Los Angeles River below the 400-foot-long Taylor Yard Bridge in Elysian Valley. The newest Taylor Yard parcel, currently fenced off as it undergoes toxic remediation, can be seen on the far right.

Headline

Rebecca Shipe for LA Times—Southern California’s bioluminescent waves are back. It may not be too late to see the electric blue nights

UCLA IoES professor Rebecca Shipe discusses the recent bioluminescent waves along Southern California’s coast for Los Angeles Times, sharing how a massive algae bloom has created dazzling displays of electric…

Beachgoers watch and record images of bioluminescent waves breaking in Huntington Beach on Jan. 2, 2024. Bioluminescence is light emitted by living things through chemical reactions in their bodies. 

Headline

Daniel Swain for The Hill — Why Hurricane Milton became so intense so fast — and why more storms may do the same

UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain discusses the rapid intensification of hurricanes for The Hill, sharing how warming oceans are contributing to stronger storms like Hurricane Milton. Swain explains that hurricanes…


Headline

Alex Hall for 1470 & 100.3 WMBD — Climate-related ‘one-two punch’ seen driving Los Angeles wildfires

UCLA climate scientist Alex Hall discussed wildfire risks around Los Angeles for 1470 & 100.3 WMBD, emphasizing the role of seasonal winds and human activities in exacerbating fire conditions. Southern…

A firefighter sprays water on the Park Fire burning near Forest Ranch, Calif., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

Announcements

UCLA Ranked Among Top 10 Most Sustainable Universities in the World

UCLA has been ranked as the #9 most sustainable university in the world by Sustainability Magazine. This prestigious ranking highlights UCLA’s commitment to environmental stewardship through decades of initiatives in…

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

Quantifying the electric service panel capacities of California’s residential buildings

Eric Daniel Fournier, Robert Cudd, Samantha Smithies, Stephanie Pincetl

Published Work | 2024 | Energy Policy

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LADWP LA100 Equity Strategies Chapter 13. Energy Affordability and Policy Solutions Analysis

Pierce, Gregory; Coffee, Daniel; Sheinberg, Rachel; Patterson, Shona; Trumbull, Kelly ;Dunlap, Lauren; Sundar, Shweta; Pugh, Carolyn; Murillo, Alberto

Working Paper | 2023

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