"Glorified sandbags," costing $3 million, will be installed in New York City.
"Nearly seven years after Superstorm Sandy decimated the city, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration has finally come up with a temporary plan to protect part of lower Manhattan — glorified sandbags," CBS New York reports.
The report includes locals expressing their doubts that the sandbags will make a difference in the event of another storm like Superstorm Sandy. Local officials also admit that the sandbags aren't pretty. Robert Freudeberg of the Regional Plan Association, is quoted in the article saying function is more important than form when it comes to coastal resilience.
"The sandbags will be installed from the Brooklyn Bridge to Wall Street. It’s about a mile and there will be 18 gaps, so pedestrians can get to the Esplanade," according to the report.
On a related note: this week is "Hurricane Preparedness Week," according to the National Weather Service.
Read the full story: City’s First Line Of Defense Against A Hurricane? Mayor’s Office To Roll Out Sandbags In Lower Manhattan
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Los Angeles just elected an urban planner as its mayor
Transportation analysts are optimistic that Raman will be more aggressive in addressing transit issues than Bass.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority