Sea Isle City, where homeowners once feared they would be unable to buy insurance due to poor flood management practices, is now leading the state in flood control planning.

The community of Sea Isle City, New Jersey is implementing an ambitious flood management plan after decades of being known as a town with a “dismal” flood protection reputation.
As Ysabelle Kempe reports in Smart Cities Dive, “Over the last three decades, Sea Isle City has achieved the highest rank of any New Jersey city in FEMA’s Community Rating System, a voluntary incentive-based program designed to encourage strong floodplain management.”
The rating means local homeowners are not at risk of losing their insurance or seeing skyrocketing rates — at least for now. “Only one other New Jersey community, Avalon, has accomplished the same status since, and no Class 1 or 2 communities exist in New Jersey.”
To ensure better flood mitigation, the city updated its zoning code to require that new buildings be elevated and invested in berms and bulkheads to protect the town. Future projects could include flood pumps, which can move large amounts of water during tidal flooding.
FULL STORY: This New Jersey beach city went from ‘worst to first’ in reducing flood risk

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure
After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?
In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure
New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?
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 Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions