Five years after Hurricane Katrina, Amber Angelle reports on some of the steps taken to prepare New Orleanse for the next major hurricane in terms of levees, infrastructure and emergency management.
A $14.45 billion Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System is almost completed, and "an e-mail and text message system called NolaReady" has been implemented.
Angelle also writes that "...the traditional, wind speed-based Category 1-5 system of rating hurricanes is not an accurate predictor of how a storm may affect a city. In repairing and renovating New Orleans' 350 miles (563 kilometers) of levees and floodwalls, the task force is using a different type of hurricane modeling - based on storm size and intensity - to ensure that the new system provides protection that can stand up to 100-year storms."
FULL STORY: What would happen if another Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans today?
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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