As land continues to disappear along the Gulf Coast and hurricane damages increase, many are beginning to reconsider whether to rebuild or retreat.
"The double-blow of Gustav and Ike - just three years after Katrina and Rita unleashed the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history - has reopened a decades-old debate amid coastal communities: defend or retreat?"
"Locals and officials throughout the Gulf Coast continue to press for more stringent building requirements and stronger levees and floodwalls to prevent floods. But some coastal analysts argue that coastal erosion is growing too fast and some Gulf Coast towns need to depopulate and move to higher ground."
"The debate could be repeated in coastal communities in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and elsewhere throughout the USA, said Robert Young, professor of coastal geology at Western Carolina University."
"Southern Louisiana loses about 15 square miles of coastline a year, largely because of dredging and the 10,000 miles of transport canals dug by oil and gas companies over the years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey office in Baton Rouge. Louisiana has lost more than 2,100 square miles of coastline - about the size of Delaware - since the 1930s, and Katrina and Rita mauled 200 square miles, according to the office. Estimates for Gustav and Ike are still being compiled."
FULL STORY: Coastal rebuilding awash in debate

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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