A new mapping tool shows the potential devastation along the Rhode Island coast caused by rising waters from climate change and storm surges.

Researchers at the University of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council have developed a new mapping tool that models potential flooding damage from rising seas and the storm surge from potentially deadly hurricanes. Alex Kuffner of the Providence Journal writes that the new mapping tool known as CERI (short for Coastal Environmental Risk Index)combines Google Earth data along with a pre-existing mapping software knows as StormTools to give users a predictive model of what would happen in different scenarios, including a strike by a 100 year storm. The tool further combines data about existing housing along the coast with estimates of damage from the Army Corps of Engineers.
The maps incorporate information on housing structures from Rhode Island’s E-911 emergency response database, which not only pinpoints houses using satellite information but also divides them into general categories: with basement or without, elevated or not, one story or two, and so on.
The results of the simulations from CERI are impacting how towns along the coast plan ahead for potentially damaging flooding. The director of planning for Warwick, RI says that the data could influence how emergency response is managed and the requirement for height of future homes above grade.
FULL STORY: Rising seas, rising stakes: R.I. researchers project future flooding

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie