Department of City & Metropolitan Planning

A mural of the night sky, with a full moon. Constellations are drawn in the sky, the sky shows an arm of the Milky Way galaxy in fuchsia and dark blue, the full moon shows a figure of a rabbit in it. The foreground is a silhouette of a hill with a wolf howling, people pointing at the sky. The bottom has numbers that show how the darkness gets lighter towards the city due to light pollution.

Dark sky’s future leaders

Lisa Potter
research communications specialist, U Communications
April 1, 2021

The first undergraduate cohort of the dark sky studies minor completed the Dark Sky Studies Capstone course with projects that made an impact in Utah’s communities.

A massive line of cars wait in traffic to enter Zion National Park in the southern part of Utah in the United States. Midway in the line of traffic is a sign with the park’s name on it. In the background is a cliff of red rocks that the region is known for. Green trees tower over the cars.

The rise of ‘Zoom Towns’ in the rural west

Lisa Potter
science writer, University of Utah Communications
October 14, 2020

COVID-19 has accelerated a trend of rapid growth in western gateway communities. This “amenity migration” is causing urgent planning challenges.

COVID-19 and the metropolis

Adapted from a release from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
June 18, 2020

Many have assumed that densely populated areas like city centers are more conducive to the spread of COVID-19. A new study finds that the opposite may be true.

First Dark Sky Studies minor in the U.S.

Lisa Potter, science writer, University of Utah Communications
January 22, 2019

Keck Foundation awards $250,000 to fund the transdisciplinary program.

ALONG FOR THE RIDE

Janelle Hanson
December 12, 2016

$15 million federal grant recognizes U transportation research.

LISTENING FOR SOLUTIONS

Clare Duignan
November 7, 2016

Students collaborate to explore water issues and solutions in Hyderabad, India.