Urban ecologists developed a new approach to understanding biodiversity patterns in cities. The work could inform efforts to improve access to nature’s benefits.

A new Duke University study finds that municipal waste incinerators' legacy of contamination could live on in urban soils.

Knowing voters have seen news reports about problems caused by failing or outdated public infrastructures in their district makes local officials who face competitive re-elections more inclined to support new spending to repair or replace the aging structures, a survey of city and county officials in 49 states shows. Findings from the survey by Duke University and the Environmental Policy Innovation Center underscore the continued importance of local media even as newsrooms shrink nationwide.

By distinguishing between lead from modern sources and lead from pre-1970s vehicle exhaust fumes and leaded paint, the new test may be especially useful for assessing the hidden risks of legacy contamination.

A partnership between Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the new concurrent Master of Environmental Management/Master of City and Regional Planning provides training to those seeking to solve environmental issues within an urban context.

Decades after federal bans ended widespread use of lead-based paint and gasoline, some urban soils still contain lead levels that exceed safety guidelines for children.

Students at North Carolina’s 10 historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) face limited options for finding healthy food to buy at stores within a 5-mile radius of their campuses, a new study shows.

Using a bedroom air filter that traps fine particles of pollution with diameters smaller than 2.5 micrometers can significantly improve breathing in asthmatic children, a new study by American and Chinese scientists shows.

Reforestation has been shown to cool surface temperatures, and a novel study suggests it may also reduce air temperature up to several stories above the ground.