How do we disrupt the cycle of rebuilding things exactly as they were before—if slightly hardened—after increasingly powerful weather events?
"Those of us who spent extended time in coastal Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 are watching the weather and reading the news with a serious case of Groundhog Day. It’s rescue-recriminate-rebuild-repeat. Over and over again."
"I’m writing this as longer range impacts of Hurricane Harvey in Texas are just beginning to sink in and as another monster hurricane, Irma, has blown out of the Atlantic, into the Caribbean and is headed toward South Florida. We’re going to be grappling with competing narratives about disaster response and resilience for a while. Two suggestions:"
"First, those of us engaged in community and regional planning should keep in mind the core caution in last week’s post by my PlaceMakers partner, Hazel Borys:
'No amount of comprehensive planning or zoning reform can prepare a city for the sort of flood Houston is currently experiencing. An expected 50” of rain in a few days makes this an event that no place in the world is likely to sustain without massive personal and economic impacts.'
"My other suggestion: Let’s pick our battles. Beginning with recognizing the unhelpful aspects of the Groundhog experience and focusing on when and how to insert response strategies — including planning strategies — that show greater promise of making things at least a little better for those in the path of disaster."
Brown goes on with a lengthy analysis of city planning and hurricane response, ending with an encouragement to pick attainable steps toward resilience.
FULL STORY: A Hurricane Response Lesson: Disrupt the cycle of futility

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