In a wide-ranging editorial, Mark Allen argues for strategies that may help communities cope with climate disasters as they grow more frequent.
"We must work with some urgency to preserve the agricultural land close to our major cities from encroaching development, while partnering with farmers to better manage the landscapes they steward," Mark Allen writes for the Green Left Weekly. Allen sees the desire to build new infrastructure, instead of improving on what already exists, as a major problem for the environment. "The main emphasis has to be on making what we already have work better for us, while embracing new ideas and discriminating in favour of public housing," Allen argues.
Allen also expresses concerns about population growth. He sees foreign aid (from Australia, where he is based) to boost education and health as a strategy to deal with the issue, because fertility rates tend to drop when countries become richer and healthier.
"Our approach to population policy should be dictated by compassion, understanding that properly directed foreign aid is the most socially equitable and ecologically sustainable first step," Allen argues.
FULL STORY: Urban and regional planning for the climate emergency
Affordable Housing: 'In the Direct Path of Climate Change'
Managers of affordable housing at the deadly northern end of Ida's path review what worked, what didn't, and what we might need to abandon altogether.
Meeting the Challenge of Feeding 10 Billion People Sustainably in 2050
With world population to grow by about 2 billion by 2050, and with more people eating higher on the food chain as nations develop economically, can world agriculture reduce its carbon footprint? A new World Resources Institute report shows how.
Moody’s: Climate Change Will Affect Your Credit Rating
The agency has created an economic incentive for cities, states and counties to deal with environmental threats.
The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.
Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.
Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.
Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.
A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.
Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
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.
