Hurricanes
Biden Orders Release from Strategic Petroleum Reserve: What's the Emergency?
The purpose of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to maintain oil flow to refineries during national emergencies when oil supplies are disrupted. What national emergency prompted President Biden to order the release of 50 million barrels?
FEMA Flood Insurance Updates Reflect Actual Risk to Each Home
Changes to how FEMA calculates flood risk will assess risk at a home-by-home level, rather than estimating the same risk to all homes in the same floodplain.
Why Texas's $29 Billion Coastal Protection Plan Is Needed
The Houston Chronicle editorial board argues for the construction of the so-called 'Ike Dike,' but warns that more investment is needed to protect the South Texas coast from future storms.
Beleaguered Texas Hospital to Ration Treatment of COVID Patients
A second county in the Rio Grande Valley has issued an unenforceable stay-at-home order to reduce transmission of the coronavirus. Its one overwhelmed hospital will implement a triage system to determine which patients to treat and whom to reject.
Coronavirus a Major New Complication for Extreme Weather Events
Climate change might not allow the relief from the pandemic that many have been hoping for as the country enters the summer months, as evacuations during the hurricane, tornado, and fire seasons will take on new elements of risk.
Living With Record Tides in Florida's Key Largo
South Florida's annual "king tides" were especially brutal this year. Residents of one Florida Keys community have experienced what it's like to live on the front lines of sea level rise.
Tampa Bay Isn't Prepared for the Hurricanes of the Future
The area is especially vulnerable to storm surge, and increased development means more people are at risk when major hurricanes push through.
Wanted: A More Proactive Approach to Stormwater Investment
As hurricane seasons get more destructive, a less reactionary approach to stormwater infrastructure investment may be needed.
State Gubernatorial Elections Have Environmental Consequences
The environment and climate change may not be top issues in the nation's hotly contested gubernatorial contests next Tuesday, but their outcomes can cause policy changes. Take North Carolina and the election of Roy Cooper, a Democrat, two years ago.
After Michael: Updating Florida's Building Code to Better Weather Future Storms
Code requirements for wind resistance vary substantially across Florida, with less stringent building requirements in areas of the Panhandle hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
ExxonMobil's $1 Million Gift to Fight Climate Change Through Carbon Pricing
Two days after a Nobel prize was awarded to William Nordhaus for his work on carbon taxes to address climate change, the largest American oil and gas company announced a $1 million contribution to a group promoting a carbon fee and dividend plan.
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.
Don't Blame Climate Change for Hurricane Florence
But you can blame climate change for 6 inches of storm surge resulting from sea level rise. Florence made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina on Friday as a Category 1 storm with wind speeds of 90 mph.
Planning for Structural Safety in an Era of Environmental Risks
Resilience to the impacts of climate change and other forms of natural disaster will require new levels of safety in the built environment.
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.
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.
For Stability and Sustainability, the World Needs Microgrids
Solar and wind power are cheaper than ever, but they remain variable. To make the best use of renewable resources, the electrical grid needs to network more small free-standing power sources together.
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.
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
