Extreme Weather
Ida Takes a Deadly Toll in the Northeast
Hurricane Ida passed through New Orleans, knocking out power causing extensive damage along the Gulf Coast. Then it moved to the Northeast, killing dozens of people with flooding caused by heavy rains.
A Natural Approach to Stormwater Proposed in Michigan
The realities of climate change have been on full display in Michigan this summer, and a crusading drain commissioner is pushing for stormwater infrastructure that uses natural features to capture and reuse water during extreme weather.
As Heat Waves Become More Common, Bus Shelters Are Needed to Keep Transit Riders Onboard
As climate change brings prolonged, intense heat waves to cities once associated with rain and cold weather will have to attend to the lack of shelter provided to bus and transit riders.
Manufactured Home Residents Face Heightened Hurricane Risks
The unique construction and ownership structure of so-called 'mobile' homes put their residents at increased risk of property damage, financial loss, and death during extreme weather events.
Detroit Floods as the Pacific Northwest Bakes: It's Time to Shift the Conversation About Climate Change
The record-breaking heatwave in the Pacific Northwest has mostly been depicted in the media by kids running through fountains, but images of flooded highways and stranded vehicles in Detroit tell a more accurate story of climate change.
The Changing Risks of Coastal Communities
An excerpt from "A Blueprint for Coastal Adaptation: Uniting Design, Economics, and Policy," published in May by Island Press.
'Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency' Wins Planning Commission Approval in NYC
Emergency responses to Hurricane Sandy have turned into long-term lessons in New York City, as the nation's largest city crafts a response to sea-level rise and extreme weather by making changes to the zoning code of coastal areas.
Texas Grid Operator to Be Investigated by Congressional Subcommittee
Texas' costliest natural disaster will be the subject of a congressional investigation by a House Oversight subcommittee thanks to Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is concerned about ERCOT's lack of preparation for extreme winter weather.
Blaming ERCOT
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the nonprofit, independent power grid operator for 90 percent of the nation's second-largest state, has become the convenient fall guy for the epic power failure caused by an extreme weather event.
California-Style Rolling Blackouts Come to Texas
As bad as the power outages are in Texas, they would be much worse if the independent energy grid operator hadn't initiated rolling blackouts. In an extensive interview with CBS Austin, Bill Magness, the head of ERCOT, explains what went wrong.
2020 Was a Landmark Year for Climate Change
Many companies set goals to achieve by 2020 and came up short, while the effects of climate change were more obvious than ever in the year that was 2020.
Drought Contingency Plan Triggered for the Colorado River
Signs of worsening drought conditions in the American West are triggering early actions for states that depend on water from the Colorado River.
2020 Sets Record for Billion-Dollar Disasters
Tropical storms, tornadoes, and wildfires, along with everything else.
Los Angeles County the Riskiest Place in the U.S., FEMA Says
The new National Risk Index calculates the brutal equations of natural disasters.
Adapting Building Codes to Natural Disasters Saves Billions
New research shows that modern building codes have prevented around $27 billion in damage from natural disasters between 2000 and 2016, yet many cities still operate under decades-old regulations.
Life With Climate Change: A 100-Year Storm Every Year
The extreme weather events and sea-level rise of the relatively near future will overwhelm storm and flood infrastructure with startling regularity, according to new research.
Criticism for Army Corps' Houston Flood Protection Plans
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has revised a plan to protect the Houston region from flooding by tossing out a proposed tunnel and opting instead to dig Buffalo Bayou wider and deeper.
A New Tool for More Flexible and Resilient Water Policies
A new book created by the Sonoran Institute explains how exploratory scenario planning can be useful to prepare for the uncertainty of water in the near- and long-term future.
Revised Plans for Massive 'Ike Dike' Plan Revealed
A $26.2 billion proposal to protect the coastal area around Galveston has evolved since its first iteration in 2018.
Flood Risk Upends the North Carolina Housing Market
Inequalities in the housing market of coastal North Carolina communities have already been exacerbated by the effects of extreme weather and climate change.
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
