disaster recovery

Should Taxpayers Fund the Rebuilding of Coastal Communities?

In the "Room for Debate" section of The New York Times, five experts debate whether the federal government should continue to subsidize the cost of coastal reconstruction in the aftermath of storms.

November 28, 2012 - The New York Times

After Sandy, NYC Will Undertake Unprecedented Reshaping of Neighborhoods

Over the weekend it was announced that New York City will need to demolish hundreds of homes damaged during Superstorm Sandy. The complicated process for determining what will be rebuilt has yet to begin.

November 19, 2012 - The New York Times

 Volunteers prepared food and water supplies

Occupy Sandy: A New Model for Disaster Response?

One of the odd twists of the Sandy aftermath is the repurposing of the Occupy Wall Street apparatus as one of the most effective aid groups operating in New York. Could their work serve as a model for locally-based disaster recovery?

November 12, 2012 - The New York Times

NYC's Subways Are Up and Running Again - How'd They Do It?

It's taken a Herculean effort to get New York's subway system up and running again after Sandy; but it's one that's progressed far below the streets of the city and out of view of most. Morgan Clendaniel examines what MTA employees have been up to.

November 6, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

What Can Sandy Learn from Katrina about Housing?

As the Sandy clean-up gets underway, could this be an opportunity for the Eastern Seaboard to apply some of the rebuilding lessons learned along the Gulf Coast after Katrina? Ben Brown shares some pointers.

November 6, 2012 - PlaceShakers

In Lower East Side, Cell Phones and Social Media More Helpful than FEMA or Red Cross

In blacked-out Manhattan, recovery is slow, if not entirely absent. To help fill the void left by public agencies, a self-organized recovery effort is trying to help those left behind, with the assistance of technology.

November 2, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Roadblocks Along the Road to Recovery in Japan

Christopher Hawthorne reports from Japan on the many obstacles preventing areas destroyed by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami from proceeding with rebuilding, as the recovery effort stalls in the cleanup stage.

March 9, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Haiti Struggles to Rebuild

On the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Sara Miller Llana assesses the rebuilding effort.

January 12, 2012 - The Christian Science Monitor

Prepared for Disaster, But not to Respond

Japan is typically associated with strong disaster preparedness plans, but the devastation following the March tsunami highlights some of the nation's shortcomings in adapting and reacting, according to this piece from Citiwire.

June 19, 2011 - Citiwire

Design Solutions for Japan's Recovery

In the coming days and years, Japan needs to address a host of issues related to earthquake recover and design, including damaged infrastructure, population and housing, energy, the economy and global impact.

March 16, 2011 - Architizer

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

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.