As an increasing percentage of the world's population, and economic assets, confront the threats of climate change, the aftermath of Sandy provides an opportunity for New York to set a global example for building stronger, smarter cities.
New York has shown in the past that it can survive extreme events and come back stronger, says Richard Florida, and in the aftermath of Sandy, the area "has an obligation not just to rebuild but to show the world how to rebuild the right way - smarter, greener, more resilient than ever."
In addition to improving flood control and reducing its carbon footprint, Florida argues that the New York region, "must also bolster its resiliency by creating a less centralized power grid with more built-in redundancy, passing regulations that discourage development on floodplains and encourage the restoration of barrier islands and wetlands that can buffer surges and developing technology that facilitates crowdsourcing of critical information."
"Great cities don't restore themselves according to their original blueprints; they adapt to new circumstances and change."
FULL STORY: A stronger, smarter New York
HUD Resiliency Awards Target Affordable Multifamily Housing
The Green and Resilient Retrofit program aims to reduce vulnerability to climate challenges and improve energy efficiency in multifamily buildings.
Federal Government Announces National Climate Resilience Framework
The document is designed to guide federal investment into community-driven solutions tailored to local conditions and needs.
Building Resiliency in Rural Power Grids
A National Science Foundation study seeks to understand the impact of climate change and extreme weather on rural electrical grids in diverse geographic areas.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie