As wildfires become bigger, more frequent, and more expensive to fight, new methods for preventing the worst impacts of fire will be necessary, according to a new study.
Bob Berwyn shares news of a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that suggests new methods for fighting and preventing wildfires will be necessary in a future defined by climate change.
Based on research in Colorado and California, "the Forest Service and other agencies simply won’t be able to keep up with bigger and longer-lasting fires unless they adopt a new, forward-looking attitude and different strategies to prepare for wildfires in the era of global warming," explains Berwyn.
Specifically, "instead of trying to fight every fire or thin vast areas in futile prevention efforts, the Forest Service should focus on protecting communities and limiting new development in fire-prone areas, while letting some fires — even large — burn, which will help Western landscapes adapt to climate change in the decades ahead."
Berwyn provides more detail on the study, by researchers at the Institute for Alpine and Arctic Research at the University of Colorado-Boulder, while referencing examples of unsustainable practices currently used to battle and prevent wildfires.
The findings connecting land use regulations to wildfire prevention, by restricting development and sprawl, echo a 2016 report from the Open Spaces Initiative at the University of Wyoming.
FULL STORY: The Future of Fighting Wildfires in the Era of Climate Change
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.