Oregon and Washington are implementing sensors that can detect and report an earthquake to communities with as much as a minute or two of warning.
"An early warning system for earthquakes is expanding to Oregon and Washington," reports Kristian Foden-Vencil.
The system amounts to a small network of sensors that can identify an earthquake and notify nearby cities. According to Foden-Vencil, "depending on where an earthquake hits, it can give nearby cities a warning of up to a minute or two." A complete build-out of an earthquake notification system would cost about $38 million, according to a source quoted in the article.
"The hope is that in the future, there will be enough sensors to justify a phone app so the general public can get earthquake warnings," adds Foden-Vencil.
For a reminder of the scale of the risk presented by earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest, revisit Kathryn Schulz's in-depth reporting on the Cascadia subduction zone from July 2015.
FULL STORY: New Earthquake Alert System Rolls Out In Oregon, Washington
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Amtrak Takes Lead on Texas Central Rail
The high-speed rail project isn’t a done deal, but if it moves forward, trains could begin operating in 2030.
Maine Approves Rent Relief Program
Legislators hope the assistance program will help struggling low-income households avoid eviction.
How Transit Architecture Impacts Real and Perceived Safety
More than a third of Americans believe major transit systems are too unsafe to ride. The built environment can change that.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.