Louisiana

This Is Climate Change: Eight 500-Year Storms Since May *2015
The extreme weather events predicted for decades by climate scientists have been on parade in the Southern United States all year. Are we ready to say, "this is climate change"?
Rescue Efforts Underway as Southeast Louisiana Faces Historic Flooding
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is describing the flooding in Southeast Louisiana as an "unprecedented and historic flooding event."

New Orleans Planning Commission Recommends Limits for Short-Term Rentals
The New Orleans City Council must still approve regulations for short-term rentals, but the Planning Commission has spoken.

Unexpected Good News for Children Arises from an Environmental Devastation
Hurricane Katrina may have devastated much of New Orleans, but in its wake, literally, unexpected good work was done. Clean sediment was deposited over lead-contaminated soil, one reason why lead levels in children decreased.

Study: Bureaucracy Restricts Housing Supply
A recent study by Trulia concentrates on elasticity (i.e., the rate at which housing stock grows, relative to demand), and arrives at the conclusion that bureaucracy, not regulation, is responsible for rising housing prices.

Should We Stay or Should We Go? Low-Lying Coastal Towns Debate Choices
Two U.S. coastal communities are debating the merits of staying or leaving due to effects from climate change and rising sea levels

New Orleans Mayor Announces Five-Year Affordable Housing Plan
Faced with increasing numbers of residents more than 50 percent of their income on housing costs, the mayor of New Orleans has announced his intentions to build or preserve 7,500 affordable units by 2021.

Welcome to a Changed Climate: It Even Floods When it's Sunny
A new report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration documents the increasing frequency of nuisance floods and "clear-sky flooding."

New Flood Maps Downplay Risks in New Orleans
Recently released flood maps created by FEMA for the city of New Orleans are receiving criticism for being 'overly optimistic' when it comes to risks posed by hurricanes and rising sea levels.

Reintegrating Ex-Convicts Means Giving Them a Place To Live
The New Orleans Housing Authority has approved reforms to policies on public housing for ex-convicts in an attempt to stem homelessness among the newly released and to foster better reintegration.

New Orleans Public Housing Opens Its Doors to People With Criminal Records
The Housing Authority of New Orleans has approved a new policy on criminal background checks that will remove the ban on residents with criminal records.
Modern Tram Proposal Taking Shape in Baton Rouge
The Baton Rouge tram, as the city is describing its proposed transit project, now has a preferred route and is ready to proceed to the final stages of environmental review.
Big Transit Happenings Expected for the Sun Belt in 2016
A streak of landmark years for public transit in Sun Belt cities from the West Coast to the Florida Panhandle will continue in 2016.
New Orleans Residents Seeking Less Density From the Zoning Code
A zoning controversy in a neighborhood in New Orleans has locals questioning how well the city's new Comprehensive Zoning Plan reflects the city's Master Plan.

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.

New Orleans Holding Out Hope HOME Program is Spared in Budget Fights
With Congressional budget negotiations ongoing in Washington, New Orleans home builders, policy makers, and low-income residents are hoping that the HOME Investment Partnership program comes out unscathed.

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.
Marohn Debates O'Toole
Charles Marohn, known as a reformed traffic engineer that launched Strong Towns, recently debated Randall O'Toole, known as the anti-planner. Recommended for understanding the conflicts that arise on the right side of the political spectrum.
Hopes for Restoring New Orleans-Florida Amtrak Service Pinned on Transportation Bill
Included in the draft version of the DRIVE Act: funding to study the restoration of Amtrak's Sunset Limited route along the Gulf Coast until Hurricane Katrina.
'New Orleans Saved Itself': Cutting-Edge Community Planning Post-Katrina
Ten years ago, a number of architecture firms went to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina for a humanitarian "experiment"—rebuilding part of the underserved Lower Ninth Ward as an innovative, LEED Platinum, affordable community.
Pagination
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service