As suburbs increasingly mingle with undeveloped land, homes face a higher risk from destructive fires.
The fires burning in Washington state's wildland-urban interface zones highlight the risk of building homes in these areas, where thicker vegetation combines with houses to pose greater danger.
As Kylie Mohr explains in High Country News, "Almost a third of housing nationwide today is situated in the wildland-urban interface, according to 2020 Forest Service research. As climate change primes the landscape for wildfires, these places are increasingly in harm’s way." Homes in Spokane County face more fire risk than 82% of counties nationwide. As high winds fanned the flames in the recent fires, "For the first time in Washington state history, the National Weather Service designated a 'particularly dangerous situation.'"
Read the full story: The Spokane burns show that not even suburbia is immune to wildfire
What Goes Together? Sprawl and Destructive Wildfires
Wildfires tend to start at the Wildland-Urban Interface: those border zones between cities and the open land surrounding them. Keeping the lid on sprawl, it can be argued, would tame the inferno.
80% of California homes built between 2020-2022 are in high fire risk areas
In 2020, California wildfires destroyed nearly a fifth of homes they came in contact with.
Home Insurers Are Fleeing California
Homeowners in the state are finding it increasingly difficult to secure insurance policies thanks to the growing risks of wildfire, drought, and other climate threats.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Atlanta City Council unanimously backs $3.5 billion Beltline light rail project
The resolution was drafted after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pulled support for the Atlanta Streetcar extension last year.
SEPTA to bring nearby frequent transit to over 1 million new riders as part of decade-long plan
The agency's Accelerate plan will also bring frequent transit to twice the amount of jobs that are currently located near it.
NYC plants over 18,000 trees, the most new foliage in a decade
Many of the trees were planted in communities vulnerable to extreme heat.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
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The Architects Foundation
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The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello