Experts say smarter land-use planning is needed as risk from wildfires and droughts caused by global warming increases.
"Many of the [wildfires in California] coincide with areas already scorched in 2003...Most homeowners vow that they'll stay in the fire-prone areas, or return to rebuild on the charred foundations of their former homes."
"In suburban rings around Atlanta, planned new subdivisions don't have to prove a long-term water source before developers plunge into construction. "
"Natural watersheds... are being seriously encroached...large houses up and over the canyons, man-made structures and paved surfaces are expanding rapidly, increasing surface runoff during storms. That leads, in turn, to more soil erosion and less water for trees or vegetation. The inevitable result: more fires, whether intentional or accidental."
"Congress could create a new set of federal watershed basin authorities, not to dictate to state and local governments but rather to sit down with them to balance risk and investment. Negotiating, perhaps, reasonable levels of federal construction funding in return for state and local agreement to focus on prevention, careful planning, adaptation to the immutable forces of nature and climate change."
FULL STORY: Fire and Water: Twin Challenges

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

USDOT Repeals Emissions Monitoring Rule
A Biden-era regulation required states to report and plan to reduce transportation-related emissions.

CaBi Breaks Ridership Record — Again
Washington D.C.’s bike share system is extremely popular with both residents and visitors.

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.
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