Justin Davidson argues that New York's ability to adapt to the effects of climate change will rely on the city learning to embrace nature rather than vainly trying to fight it.
How should New York plan for a more resilient city in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy? Build massive barriers as Governor Andrew Cuomo and experts have suggested? "Like most cities, New York is built to beat back the sea's spasms
of violence, not to absorb them," says Davidson. But what if, instead, New Yorkers, like Venetians, learn to become comfortable with the occasional flood?
"Imagine, instead, a city that learns to embrace nature rather than
vainly try to fight it," suggests Davidson. "The streets of low-lying areas are paved with
permeable surfaces, allowing floodwaters to seep through rather than
slosh into basements. Tall grasses dance in a spongy buffer zone of
marshland, stretching from the built edge out into the waterways.
Scattered in the Upper Bay are archipelagos of tiny artificial islands
and floating piers - speed bumps for a storm surge. Beneath the waves,
submerged reefs made of old subway cars and oyster beds help diffuse
hard-charging currents, and at the same time host an abundance of marine
life. In that New York, we will watch the sea come in, serenely
confident that it will make an orderly retreat, leaving our vital
systems unmolested and our streets unbesmirched."
FULL STORY: New York’s Wet Future: How the City Could Live With the Sea Rather Than Fighting It

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.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time
A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth
Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas
Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions