disaster recovery

Hurricanes

Deciding Not to Rebuild After Climate-Related Disasters

Officials in cities along the East Coast are realizing that maybe they shouldn’t rebuild on land that repeatedly floods. But that’s easier said than done.

April 3, 2020 - Shelterforce Magazine

Hurricane Harvey Flooding

Harvey's Effects Still Apparent in Houston's Capital Spending

It's hard to measure exactly how much, but Hurricane Harvey has significantly pushed the city of Houston's capital spending program toward recovery efforts.

June 20, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Flooding

Houston Has a $1.15 Billion Harvey Recovery Plan

Houston is taking steps to finalize and approve a plan to spend $1.15 billion in federal disaster relief funding after Hurricane Harvey.

June 9, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Houston

Post-Harvey Homeowners Face an 'Army of Speculators'

In Houston, investors are snapping up damaged homes that will be dependent on flood insurance.

May 14, 2018 - Houston Chronicle

Wine Country Fires

Lessons on Resilience and Recovery from 2017's Worst Disasters

Dissecting successful disaster response in places like Houston and Mexico City could help California prepare for the inevitable.

February 27, 2018 - The Planning Report

Harvey Floods Houston

HUD Cuts Red Tape to Support Hurricane Recovery

Administrative changes announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will impact programs like the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the HOME Investment Partnerships programs.

October 28, 2017 - U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

Houston Texas

Up and Running: The Speedy Recovery of Houston's City Hall

Following Hurricane Harvey, Houston's City Hall became flooded with four feet of water, rendering the building's electrical and mechanical equipment useless. Restoring power back to City Hall quickly was crucial in aiding the recovery efforts.

October 6, 2017 - Doggerel

Planning After the 1666 Great Fire of London

Revisiting a collected effort to reshape one of the world's most famous cities after a catastrophic disaster.

January 26, 2016 - The Guardian Cities

Evacuation

What We Didn't Learn From Katrina

Cities are immensely complex self-organizing systems, not mere top-down designs—but they do need top-down interventions in strategic places. Unfortunately, we still have inadequate models and tools.

August 28, 2015 - Michael Mehaffy

New Orleans Transit Service Not Keeping Pace with Recovery

A pair of articles in the Times-Picayune, along with a new study from advocacy group Ride New Orleans, finds the transit system in New Orleans doing less with more.

July 17, 2014 - The Times-Picayune

$1 Billion Disaster Recovery Competition Announced

Following the Rebuild by Design competition, which awarded $920 million in June, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced another $1 billion competition for innovative resilience projects in communities recently struck by disasters.

July 17, 2014 - Next City

Lac-Mégantic One Year Later

July 6, 2014 marks the one-year anniversary of North America's most catastrophic energy calamity when a runaway oil unit train carrying Bakken crude exploded in this small Quebec town killing 47 people and incinerating ten blocks of its downtown.

July 6, 2014 - NPR

Discrimination Limits Sandy Recovery Efforts

Many New Jersey residents are waiting for state aid to help them rebuild after Hurricane Sandy. But not everyone is receiving a fair share of recovery funds. How will Governor Chris Christie respond?

March 19, 2014 - Rooflines

After Tornadoes, Towns Plan for the Future

Dealing with the scars left by past tornadoes, towns like Greensburg, Kansas, have involved the community in planning efforts to rebuild and reimagine the future.

February 3, 2014 - Chicago Tribune

"Catastrophic" Ice Storm Freezes Toronto, Mayor

A severe ice storm struck southern Ontario and the northern U.S. over the weekend, delivering prolonged power outages and disrupting holiday travel. Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was allegedly unreachable after the storm.

December 23, 2013 - BBC News

New Yorkers Take Pride in Resilience, Preserve Scars from Sandy

As New York and New Jersey continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy, some residents choose to preserve the watermarks left on their homes and businesses as a way to commemorate their survival.

October 29, 2013 - The New York Times

Aerial views during an Army search and rescue mission show damage from Hurricane Sandy to the New Jersey coast, Oct. 30, 2012.

The Era of “When, Not If,” Compels a New Approach to Waterfront Development

On the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, ULI offers guidance on post-disaster rebuilding and building in anticipation of future disasters in a way that helps preserve the environment, boost economic prosperity, and foster a high quality of life.

October 29, 2013 - Patrick L. Phillips

Recognizing Lively Urban Spaces as the Heart of Resilient Communities

Based on lessons from recent disasters in Chicago and New York, where lively urban spaces helped communities to survive and recover, Michael Kimmelman suggests that neighborhood libraries could be designed with such a purpose in mind.

October 6, 2013 - The New York Times

Rebuilding of Roads and Bridges are Key to Colorado Flood Recovery

This month's deluge resulted in damage or total destruction of "an estimated 200 miles of state highways and 50 bridges" in over 12 counties, estimated to cost $475 million. Contracts have been awarded for "initial work to be completed by Dec. 1".

September 30, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S. News

Earl Blumenauer on America's Unwise Approach to Disaster Planning and Recovery

Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer talks about the failures with federal natural disaster relief and how the country should build its resiliency to climate change with The Planning Report.

September 27, 2013 - The Planning Report

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.