Gulf Coast
Migration to Disaster-Prone Areas Persists
Regions at high risk for flooding, wildfires, and other climate-fueled disasters continue to see rapid population growth.
Amtrak Gains Final Approvals for Return to the Gulf Coast
A vote by the Mobile city council secured three key agreements that will pave the way for bringing passenger rail service back to coastal regions east of New Orleans.
Do Environmentalists Confuse Oil Production With Oil Demand?
Samantha Gross, the director of the Energy Security and Climate Initiative at the Brookings Institution, argues that the key to reducing emissions is to do the hard work of reducing oil demand rather than focusing on ending U.S. oil drilling.
More Delays for Restoring Gulf Coast Amtrak Service
Conflicts over freight rail and funding are holding up the restoration of New Orleans-to-Orlando service on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited line.
Hurricane Ian Puts Renewed Focus on Florida's Barrier Islands
Ian did not impact Southeast Florida, but coastal residents there took notice of the state's deadliest hurricane since 1935 that devastated much of Southwest Florida last month, particularly the barrier islands off the Gulf Coast.
Louisiana's $50 Billion Coastal Restoration Plan Moves Forward
A $50 billion plan to replenish lost coastal land could have significant impacts on local marine life and fishing industries.
Coastal Louisiana Communities Face Risks from Chemical Plants
Louisiana's chemical plants could release tons of toxic pollution into the air and water during storms, but anti-terrorism provisions make the process of finding risk management information prohibitively difficult.
Passenger Rail to Gulf Coast Closer to Reality
Amtrak service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, stopped after Hurricane Katrina. But recent efforts point to restored service in the coming years.
Not Refugees—Climate Change 'Pioneers'
A change of nomenclature shifts focus to the self-determination of residents relocating from the coast of Louisiana as rising seas inundate their homes.
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.
'America’s First Climate Refugees' Are Still on the Island
The 99 residents of Isle de Jean Charles have $48 million to relocate together, but that doesn’t make it easy.
Texan Offers Very Texan Plan for the Coast of Texas
In a new book, lawyer Jim Blackburn suggests that engaging private landowners is the only way to manage the coast of his home state.
It's Now Safe to Link Hurricane Precipitation and Climate Change
A new study from MIT makes a clear connection between the intensity of rainfall caused by Hurricane Harvey last August in Texas and climate change, concluding that the likelihood of stronger downpours is greatly increasing.
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.
Hurricane Effect: Rising Gas Prices
One need not be on the Gulf Coast to experience some of the effects of Hurricane Harvey, a category 4 storm that landed near Corpus Christi on Friday night. Gas prices are expected to rise five to ten cents per gallon in some regions, then recede.
Louisiana, Gulf Coast Push for New Passenger Rail Service
A new passenger rail line between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is just one of the links being proposed along the Gulf Coast.
The Katrina Cottage Legacy
The New Urbanist Katrina Cottages initiative for the Gulf Coast appeared to be a failure but their legacy lives on in the SmartDwellings and in the Tiny House movement.
What We Didn't Learn From Katrina
Cities are immensely complex self-organizing systems, not mere top-down designs—but they do need top-down interventions in strategic places. Unfortunately, we still have inadequate models and tools.
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.
City of Albany
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
