Alexandria, Virginia's waterfront was built on landfill below the natural elevation of the Potomac River. City officials hope to build new seawalls to protect that area from floods.
Alexandria, Virginia floods regularly. "These floods do not yet severely affect the infrastructure in the flood zone, but the city has a significant maintenance budget nonetheless," Rita Abou Samra reports for Greater Greater Washington. These small floods can carry debris into the city and disrupt transit around the waterfront. But officials worry that with climate change making "100-Year Storms" more common, the city could suffer something worse than a waterlogged coast.
Alexandria has moved the Old Dominion Boat Club and intends to implement some flood calming measures. "Among them: a continuous riverfront promenade that acts as a seawall and protects against rising waters, which the currently fragmented shoreline does not," Abou Samra reports. Implementing flood protection looks to be a long process that the city hopes to complete in phases, beginning with shoreline improvements and moving inland from there.
"The new waterfront plan aims to preserve the area's history, reclaim its parks and make them more usable for more people, and to mitigate the impacts of floods," Samra reports.
FULL STORY: Alexandria is already often waterlogged. How will it adjust to climate change?
Proposed Citywide Rezoning Would Layer Resilience in New York City
With 520 miles of coastline, New York City is ready to implement the lessons of Hurricane Sandy in the zoning code for the entire city.
Restricting Floodplain Development in the Nation's Capital
The D.C. Department of Energy and Environment has read the writing on the wall.
Flooding Less of a Concern as Hurricane Memories Fade
Residents of Houston are less likely to think of flooding as a concern, or to think development should be prohibited in flood-prone areas, as in the years immediately following Hurricane Harvey.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
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