Despite billions of dollars in reconstruction aid, with no overarching housing policy, Haiti's recovery from a devastating earthquake in 2010 has become a protracted humanitarian crisis, especially for hundreds of thousands remaining in tent cities.
Deborah Sontag explores the uneven Haitian rebuilding efforts two and a half years after a devastating earthquake struck the poverty-afflicted island country, and finds that "the most obvious, pressing need - safe, stable
housing for all displaced people - remains unmet."
Sontag reveals that despite some permanent rebuilding efforts, a significant portion of Haiti's shelter reconstruction budget has been spent on "small-scale temporary solutions," such as one-room transitional shelters and rent subsidies.
"In the absence of an overarching housing policy, Haiti's shelter problem
has been tackled unsystematically, in a way that has favored rural over
urban victims and homeowners over renters because their needs were more
easily met. Many families with the least resources have been neglected
unless they happened to belong to a tent camp, neighborhood or
vulnerable population targeted by a particular program," writes Sontag.
FULL STORY: Years After Haiti Quake, Safe Housing Is a Dream for Many
Rebuilding Smarter: How LA County Is Guiding Fire-Ravaged Communities Toward Resilience
Los Angeles County is leading a coordinated effort to help fire-impacted communities rebuild with resilience by providing recovery resources, promoting fire-wise design, and aligning reconstruction with broader sustainability and climate goals.
From Crisis to Opportunity in Ukraine
Rebuilding in ways that are more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable in the face of ongoing conflict.
'Place Shock' and the Ecology of Fear
How to conceive of rebuilding places amid sudden change in a region known for its “ecology of fear?” As the city embarks on the arduous task of rebuilding, the question arises: how do we reconcile the imperatives of safety and sustainability with the deeply ingrained human desire for continuity, for a sense of rootedness in the familiar?
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
Texas Bills Could Push More People Into Homelessness
A proposal to speed up the eviction process and a bill that would accelerate enforcement of an existing camping ban could make the state’s homelessness crisis worse, advocates say.
USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.
Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service