"Strategic retreat" as a response to rising sea levels isn't an easy sell, but a new report endeavors to make the idea more palatable.
The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Regional Plan Association make the case for managed retreat from flood zones with new research into the use of buyouts. The report, Buy-In for Buyouts: The Case for Managed Retreat from Flood Zones, focuses especially on building support for buyouts among local governments and community members.
The fiscal impact of buyout programs is one of the biggest factors weighed by local governments in embracing or resisting buyout programs, according to the report. Incorporating financial considerations into the reuse of acquired properties and the relocation of residents is critical. For example, well designed parks can make nearby property more desirable, and open space projects can deliver water supply and flood prevention benefits, thereby increasing land values.
Though the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fund buy-out programs, such programs are usually managed and overseen locally, meaning they play out differently depending on the community. The post includes five recommendations for flood-prone communities, as described in the report.
FULL STORY: The Case for Managed Retreat from Flood Zones
Severe Flooding Calls Attention to Houston’s Home Buyout Struggles
Recent extreme flooding along the San Jacinto River has prompted a review of the progress of Harris County’s flood-prone home buyout program.
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People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
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New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
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Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association