Disaster Planning
NYC Studies How to Build Resiliency
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, a new task force convened by New York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn will look into potential changes to the city's building code, with recommendations due next summer.
Rising to the Real Challenge of Sandy
Michael Kimmelman takes a hard look at the political and bureaucratic obstacles that stand in the way of a forward-thinking approach to rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
The Swan Song of Telegraph Avenue?
Soumya Karlamangla profiles a once-thriving hippie mecca, hit by hard times and largely abandoned, even by the nearby student population. Is it down for the count?
Low-Cost Solutions Can Bolster Climate Resilience
As we've heard recently, many of the places most vulnerable to rising sea levels and extreme weather are in developing countries. Encouragingly, however, Sandy revealed several low-cost solutions to help mitigate the impacts of severe storms.
New Technology Helps Your Community Prepare for the Next Disaster
Ariel Schwartz explains Recovers, "a logistical management system for disaster recovery," that gives communities tools for matching volunteers with recovery tasks, in the event of a disaster.
How Can New York Prevent Future Superstorm Disasters?
After nearly a decade of ignoring warnings about the type of disaster witnessed this week, New York City and State officials may no longer be able to push off implementing drastic plans to safeguard the city from rising seas and super storms.
Would a Romney Administration Cut FEMA?
On the eve of landfall of Hurricane Sandy, Matthew Yglesias recalls Mitt Romney's 2011 response to a GOP primary debate question in which he called federal disaster relief spending "immoral."
What is the World's Most Vulnerable City to Flooding?
Based on a range of data, including 19 different components, a new study examining cities located on river deltas has determined that Shanghai is the most vulnerable to major flooding.
Disaster Planning Requires Social Safety Net
Nate Berg says that planners have a crucial role in making sure cities are prepared for natural disasters.
Habitat for Humanity Releases Disaster Planning Report
Drawing examples from a vast supply of disasters in recent years, this 30-page report emphasizes planning and policy for not just housing, but also land tenure and community input, with long-term perspectives.
How the U.N. Uses GIS to Manage Humantarian Responses
Two planners with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reveal how they use GIS to coordinate their efforts, using the recent tsunami and earthquake in Japan as an example.
New Town Takes Worst of Irene, Emerges Unscathed
The town, designed by DPZ Associates, uses traditional building techniques (most of which are completely illegal in US hurricane zones) and fared better in the eye of Hurricane Irene at its strongest point than any other town.
A Disaster Hits Home
Rebecca Bateman grew up in Joplin, Missouri, which was decimated on May 22nd by a tornado. The the personal nature of the disaster has caused her to reflect on some strategies for city planners to consider before a disaster hits.
New Earthquake Research Reveals Best, and Worst, Building Locations
A new study finds that surface topography, not solely an area's underlying geology, contributes significantly to earthquake intensity. Researchers hope that the new information can be easily factored into local planning and design processes.
Asian Cities Face High Risks
Kathmandu, Manila, Dhaka, Mumbai and Jakarta are among the cities most prone to natural disasters, says The Guardian.
How Building Codes Saved Chile
Chile's 8.5 earthquake resulted in a significantly lower death toll than the recent quake in Haiti. Partly it was the location of the epicenter, but strict building codes played a part as well.
Housing for Haitians
Andres Duany has designed a prefab house specifically for the victims of the Haitian earthquake. 1,000 of them are on their way to the island now.
Poor Building Practices, Infrastructure Worsened Haiti Devastation
CNN reports that a lack of building codes and the construction of vulnerable informal settlements may have contributed to the high death toll in Haiti's earthquake.
Asian Disasters Exacerbated by Inadequate Infrastructure
Many of the deaths of the past few rounds of storms and earthquakes are due to inadequate drainage systems, poor building regulation enforcement, and lack of emergency planning.
"A Paradise Built in Hell" Offers Lessons in Disaster Planning
In her new book, A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities That Arise in Disaster, journalist and essayist Rebecca Solnit describes a phenomenon that is rarely mentioned in the context of disaster preparedness: the spirit of caring -- even joy -- that can emerge in the face of calamity.
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
