Flooding
A Year After Harvey, Homes Still Going Up on Houston Flood Plain
Despite the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey, builders and buyers alike are sustaining a market for new construction on land likely to get flooded again.
Hurricane Florence Causes Coal Ash Spill at Former Coal Power Plant
The breach of the coal ash landfill by a former coal-burning power plant in Wilmington, North Carolina serves as a reminder that even after coal plants are shuttered, the by-products of the world's most polluting fossil fuel can still cause harm.
The Role of Urban Planners in Flood Preparation
Blogger Kayla Matthews examines the many challenges planners face in preparing for the extreme weather and flooding caused by climate change.
A Wetter Midwest Challenges Planning and Infrastructure
FiveThirtyEight explores how planners in the Midwest are trying to get ahead of an intensifying climate.
Maryland's Floods a Terrible Tragedy, and a Sign of More to Come
The sprawling, asphalt communities of U.S. cities, built as a result of mid-20th century planning, will meet terrible consequences during the extreme weather events of climate change.
Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'
In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.
800 New Homes Approved for Houston's Floodplain
The city of Houston approved a new development that doesn't meet new elevations standards approved by the city of Houston earlier this month.
Study: Climate Change Concerns Taking a Toll on Home Values in Miami
Ordinary homeowners are beginning to factor climate change into the home-buying decisions in Miami.
Friday Eye Candy: Watch Yosemite's Streams Overflow
Mandatory evacuations were in order, so there was no threat to the general pubic. Witness the fury of mother nature from a safe distance.
Houston Seriously Tightens Rules on Floodplain Construction
It was the city's "first major regulatory response" to Hurricane Harvey.
When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays
Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.
As Climate Shifts, Cincinnati Mayor Boosts Solar Investments
The Ohio city recently announced a plan to build the nation's largest municipally owned onsite solar array. The plan builds on a decade of increasingly ambitious climate action.
Houston's Latest Stormwater Project: 'Massive, Underground Tunnels'
The most recent post-Harvey proposal would mean the city could endure enormous rain events, but so far it's not clear who would pay for it.
After Harvey, Texas Tries State-Run Disaster Relief, With Mixed Results
The scale of the housing recovery effort means some jobs normally handles by FEMA have fallen to the Texas General Land Office.
Catch Up With Austin's CodeNEXT
CodeNEXT is one of the most ambitious, and controversial, zoning reform projects ongoing in the country, with lessons to offer planners all over the country in code writing, public outreach, and planning outcomes.
Moody’s: Climate Change Will Affect Your Credit Rating
The agency has created an economic incentive for cities, states and counties to deal with environmental threats.
Hurricane Harvey and the Failure of the National Flood Insurance Program
Houston's most recent natural disaster is only the latest example of how a program created to help homeowners has been a greater benefit to the industries that profit from them.
Challenges in Rebuilding Houston Extend Beyond Development
Michael Kimmelman, architecture critic of The New York Times, looks beyond sprawl and development issues that challenge Houston in its rebuilding efforts. An anti-urban, anti-regulation bias from the statehouse isn't helping matters.
Future Floods May Test Tokyo's Defenses
Despite the presence of a formidable (and expensive) underground flood control system, Tokyo may confront floods and rainfall that will challenge the city's capacity to protect itself.
Hurricane Nate to Test New Orlean's Drainage System
Nate will make landfall southeast of New Orleans on Saturday night as possibly a category 2 hurricane after leaving at least 22 dead in Central America. It's not so much the levees but the pumps and generators that have city officials worried.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
