An interview with environmentalist journalist and author David Helvarg about hurricanes, coastal development, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and Bush administration policies.
"...hurricanes are natural phenomena, but they're being unnaturally intensified by our failed policies...It's very disturbing what hasn’t been done in response to last year's hurricane activity, which is we've thrown tens of billions of dollars at contractors in the Gulf region [but] Congress hasn’t committed dollar one to wetlands restoration...which act as natural storm barriers. Every two-and-a-half miles of wetlands reduce storm surge by a foot."
"...no good science goes unpunished in this administration. So, for example, there are a lot of administration people pushing the idea that climate change wasn't linked to last year's hurricanes. In fact, it reflects their inability or unwillingness to hold two thoughts at once...Right now, our government’s in denial. The best available science is creating some of the worst imaginable scenarios, and we have a government that fails to respond."
"It’s foolish to have federal flood insurance that subsidizes people to move in harm's way, that allows people to build second homes on barrier islands. There’s a reason they call them 'barrier islands.'"
"...crisis also is opportunity...150 years ago, some of the leading wealthiest people in this country would have said, 'Getting rid of whale oil is insane. It's the lubricant of the machine age'...Well, we went from whale oil to rock oil. Guess what? The economy expanded. You know, we’re at another moment...I’ve been on the oilrigs...It’s like being on a whaling ship 150 years ago."

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.

EPA Awards $267 Million to Clean Up and Reuse Contaminated Sites
The EPA is investing the funds to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites nationwide, supporting economic growth, community revitalization, and environmental restoration.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway
The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot
The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.
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.
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City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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