Researchers have developed a new technology to sense the acoustic conditions that indicate oncoming landslides.
The technology can be especially useful in flood-prone areas and hillsides villages constructed ad hoc.
"Earlier attempts at landslide warning systems had problems that the Loughborough group has solved. Like the new device, earlier versions converted acoustical energy to digital signals. Some operated on low-frequency sound, which travels farther before it attenuates. The main drawback was that this range of frequencies is in a band that's very noisy, and the systems returned too many false positives. But high-frequency devices struggled to capture the shear surface sounds because of attenuation and required off-site computing to handle the system's data-processing duties.
The Loughborough team sidestepped these problems with a high-frequency device that takes readings at a rate of 20 to 30 kilohertz. They limited the effect of attenuation by boosting the sound with as low tech a solution as it gets: gravel."
FULL STORY: Sensor System Yields Landslide Warnings
Southern California City Offers Buyout to Homeowners Facing Erosion Threat
Power and gas were shut off to dozens of homes in Rancho Palos Verdes as landslides threatened homes and infrastructure. Now, the city is offering to buy the homes to help residents relocate.
Southern California Utilities Cut Power, Gas to Hundreds of Households on Shifting Coastal Land
Slow but significant land movement is damaging infrastructure, prompting power shutoffs and calls for evacuation in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Mountain Road Collapses Force Isolation, Long Commutes
Threats to aging transportation infrastructure are putting remote communities at risk of being cut off from essential services.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal
The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.
Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification
The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.
Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation
Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service