Earthquakes

Rewiring Manila to Avoid Devastation of Natural Disasters

The leading architect and urban planner from the Philippines is calling on the city of Manila to take stronger precautions in the face of earthquakes and other natural disasters.

March 3, 2010 - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Earthquakes Threaten Many Third-World Cities

Port-au-Prince is not an outlier. Many other major cities in developing and poor countries lie along earthquake fault lines and are in danger of destruction.

February 27, 2010 - The New York Times

Will The Economy Leave Port-au-Prince With Its People?

More than a million Haitians have fled the capital city of Port-au-Prince, and government officials are advising them to stay out of the city. But many question if these provincial cities will be able to provide jobs and economic opportunities.

January 30, 2010 - The Christian Science Monitor

Group of Builders and Designers Brainstorm Haiti's Future

Every day since the earthquake that shattered Haiti earlier this month, a group of 50 planners, architects and developers have met to brainstorm and strategize the rebuilding of their country.

January 27, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

The Role of Design and Architecture in Saving Haiti

This episode of DnA wonders whether design and architecture will be able to help Haiti revive itself.

January 20, 2010 - KCRW

Worst-Case Tsunami Scenario Mapped

The event of a huge earthquake off the Aleutian Islands could send a devastating tsunami towards the West coast of the U.S. Researchers have released maps of what a worst-case scenario might look like for coastal communities.

December 20, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

Water Tunnel Beneath Bay to Protect San Francisco in Face of Quake

Utilities officials in the San Francisco Bay Area are hoping to secure their water resources in the face of another devastating earthquake by building a 5-mile long water tunnel beneath the Bay.

July 29, 2009 - San Jose Mercury News

Bend it Like Concrete

Advances in material development have brought to the market a new type of concrete that can bend under pressure and heal cracks with the addition of water.

May 7, 2009 - National Geographic

Rebuilding Underway in Sichuan Province

A California-based architecture firm has been selected by a Sichuan planning department to rebuild the city of Dujiangyan after the deadly earthquake in the province earlier this year.

October 23, 2008 - Architectural Record

Earthquakes, Building Codes and the Politics of Architecture

Mark Kingwell observes the sharp -- and deadly -- contrast between shining Shanghai skyscrapers and the poorly-built prefab concrete structures in China's rural areas that proved to be deathtraps in the recent earthquake.

May 26, 2008 - The Globe & Mail

Did Corrupt Building Practices Contribute to China's Earthquake Disaster?

As rescue work continues in the aftermath of the earthquake in China's Sichuan province, many -- including the state-run media -- are asking questions about why so many buildings collapsed, and blame corruption and shoddy construction methods.

May 16, 2008 - The Globe & Mail

New Maps Show Broad Range of Earthquake Risk in U.S.

New earthquake hazard maps from the U.S. Geological Survey show increased earthquake risk areas beyond typical hotspots like California. Geologists say planners and local officials should react to the maps by updating building codes.

April 26, 2008 - Discovery

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.

Senior Planner

City of Thousand Oaks

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

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