Residents of New Jersey, and particularly its coastal communities, have an emotional connection to the state's seaside towns. But in the rush to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, Scott Gurian asks if emotion is getting in the way of good planning.
"In the nearly nine months since Sandy made landfall, 'Restore the Shore' has become the rallying cry for millions of New Jersey residents, eager to return life back to normal. But amid the rush to rebuild, the storm has raised a host of questions about planning and development patterns in the nation’s most densely populated state."
"Many environmentalists and land-use experts warn that the coast was overbuilt to begin with, so they voice concerns about repeating the mistakes of the past by putting everything back where it was," Gurian explains. "Despite all the focus on rebuilding higher and stronger, they believe that having millions of people living at the water’s edge might be unsustainable in the long run. But coastal residents and business owners who’ve forged strong emotional and economic bonds to the region aren’t likely to pick up and move anytime soon."
Read the full story: IN RUSH TO RESTORE THE SHORE, IS NJ FAILING TO PLAN FOR NEXT SUPERSTORM?
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
As El Niño approaches, Newsom vetos bill aimed at protecting California levees from flooding
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state’s allocated $170 million was enough funding; State experts estimate it will cost $3.3 billion to repair the California Delta's levees.
Boston sues Trump administration over revoked infrastructure grant
The Trump administration withdrew the infrastructure grant because less than 1% of the money would go to electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello