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.
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.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Malls are becoming the midtowns of the future
Mall and office park redevelopments are a generational opportunity to create new nodes of urbanity.
Officials claim feds 'rushed' Amtrak environmental review
Amtrak plans to move their Chicago maintenance facility from an industrial area to a residential one.
NYC breaks ground on anti-flooding infrastructure project
New York City's new system will reduce stormwater flows to local sewers by 90%.
One Kentucky town’s secret to affordable housing
The Smoketown Community Land Trust has already built seven affordable homes for community members.
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