Daniel Reed, former Planning Director of Daytona Beach, is now the primary planner of Sadr City, 12 miles north of Baghdad.
"What would prompt a man to swap his family, safety and Daytona Beach, Fla., for the perils of Iraq?
Ask Daniel Reed.
'I really thought I could make a difference,' said Reed, 47, who served as Bay City planner from 1995-2000 and later served as planning director for Daytona Beach.
But his life took an unexpected turn in 2007, when a pamphlet from the U.S. State Department crossed his desk. Reed applied for the position of urban planner, and his 21 years of experience landed him a spot at Camp Taji, Iraq, 12 miles north of Baghdad.
Reed, who began his new job in November, now works as the primary planner for Sadr City, a Baghdad enclave marked by chaos and violence.
'The infrastructure is, for the most part, not working,' Reed said in an e-mail to The Times. 'For instance, regularly scheduled trash pick-up is nonexistent. It is my belief that it is not going as well as the 'official government' commentary would like you to think it is.'
Reed's role as Bay City planner meant associating with zoning, planning and architectural boards. While he says there are some common factors between that joband his position in Iraq - both involve managing sewers, water and roads - the context of his work ''is on a vastly different scale,' he said."
FULL STORY: Former Bay City planner helping rebuild city in Iraq
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.