FEMA
Michigan Governor Finds Himself at Center of Flint Water Crisis
A case is made that Gov. Rick Snyder's handling of the lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan is analogous to former President George W. Bush's bungling of the crisis resulting after Hurricane Katrina touched-down on the Gulf coast in August 2005.
The Katrina Cottage Legacy
The New Urbanist Katrina Cottages initiative for the Gulf Coast appeared to be a failure but their legacy lives on in the SmartDwellings and in the Tiny House movement.
Texas Flooding a Reminder of Lack of Climate Change Preparation
Houston headlined the news of flooding this week, but swollen rivers rushed over their banks and onto roads and into homes all over the state of Texas this week. Is the state's infrastructure resilient enough for the effects of a changing climate?
FEMA to States: Want Disaster Mitigation Funds? Then Plan for Climate Change
A policy adopted earlier this year and due to go into effect next March would require states to plan for climate change before they are eligible to receive grant funding to plan for disasters.
FEMA Proposes New Flood Maps: 450,000 More New York Houses Included
FEMA has been hard at work since Hurricane Sandy re-evaluating the risk of floods in New York. Newly proposed maps would cast a much wider net for flood risk on private property.
National Resilience Agency Needed to Prepare for Continued Disasters
Be Prepared! It's more than a motto: it's how we must respond to continuing large-scale natural disasters.
Chemical Spill Fouls West Virginia Water, Federal Emergency Declared
Three hundred thousand residents in nine counties in W.Va, including the state capital have gone without tap water since Thursday due to a massive chemical spill into the Elk River. All uses except flushing are off-limits. How much longer is unknown.
New NYC Zoning Rules Will Help Residents Build Against Floods
New municipal zoning laws don’t necessarily make for the most compelling reading material, but a new set of New York City regulations are worth paying attention to.
With NYC's Plan to Elevate Buildings, Chaban Asks 'Will Jane Jacobs Float?'
Hurricane Sandy made New York's increasing vulnerability to extreme storms apparent, and the need elevate buildings in flood-prone areas imperative. This task is made particularly challenging due to the prevalence of multistory buildings.
NYC Relaxes Zoning to Ease Rebuilding
Three months after Sandy struck New York, the city took an important step in the recovery process by waiving select zoning rules rules to speed rebuilding, reports Matt Chaban.
Enjoy the Images of the Superdome, Because You Helped Pay For It
Mark Byrnes explains the recent renovations - both inside and outside - of New Orleans' Superdome, home to Sunday's Super Bowl. The work was funded, at least in part, by FEMA.
MTA Disaster Aid Request: Appropriate or Overreach?
This week, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority made public its request for $5 billion in federal aid to rebuild what was damaged during Superstorm Sandy. But a look at the details reveals an ambitious agenda for improvements.
Rising to the Real Challenge of Sandy
Michael Kimmelman takes a hard look at the political and bureaucratic obstacles that stand in the way of a forward-thinking approach to rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Challenging the Rush to Rebuild
Justin Gillis outlines some harsh criticisms of disaster response efforts that rebuild without rethinking – and how much it's costing taxpayers across the country.
Officials Seek Help from NYC Landlords to House Sandy Refugees
Sandy has displaced thousands of families, while leaving many without hot water or heat. Officials are concerned cold temperatures will increase the number of families seeking shelter, and are asking NYC landlords to help house them in vacant units.
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?
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.
Would a Romney Administration Cut FEMA?
On the eve of landfall of Hurricane Sandy, Matthew Yglesias recalls Mitt Romney's 2011 response to a GOP primary debate question in which he called federal disaster relief spending "immoral."
Funding Not the Only Variable in Sustainable Planning's Success
As Congress presses to eliminate funding for many of the federal government's sustainable planning initiatives, increased collaboration among agencies around smart growth policies may be irreversible.
Pushing Americans to Get Smarter About How and Where They Build
Greg Hanscom reports on efforts by FEMA and the Green Building Council to incorporate "climate resiliency" into green building certification criteria in recognition of the increasing effects of climate change.
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.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
