This kind of satire burns.
The Onion spin-off Clickhole holds nothing sacred, but their recent take on a post-sea-level rise New York City manages one of those tricks only possible through satire: wringing jokes from a scary reality.
The post claims it hired an artist to depict New York after being "devastated by flooding from rising sea levels," but then unintentionally created a set of drawings that ended up making "global warming look like pretty much the best thing ever."
So what makes climate change look awesome, in the post's own words? How about people surfing across Times Square, an MTA whale trained to commute like a bus, and "fun gondolas" instead of taxis.
Clickhole's final words of caution place the tongue firmly in the cheek:
It wasn’t cheap to commission these drawings, so we felt like we needed to go ahead and publish them. But just try to keep in mind that climate change is a serious problem. The actual effect on NYC wouldn’t be nearly this freaking badass. It would look scarier, and everyone would hate it. You’re just gonna have to take our word on that.
Opinion: One Solution to Manhattan's Land Shortage: Just Build It
A New York Times op-ed calls on the city to add landfill development on Manhattan's southern shoreline, claiming it would increase affordability and protect the city from rising sea levels.
Satirizing Mayors Who Campaign for President During a Flood
The Onion took some shots at presidential hopeful and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after summer rain showers flooded streets and sent water cascading into the city's subway system.
Army Corps Proposes Sea Barriers to Protect New York from Rising Seas
A massive infrastructure project is on the table in New York, after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a new feasibility study.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
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.
Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.
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.
LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie