Flood Control

Tulsa Arkansas River

How Tulsa Beat Flooding Without Saying 'Climate Change'

An oil town in a red state proves we don't have to talk about climate change to adapt to it.

November 9, 2017 - Governing

Rainbow Bridge

Future Floods May Test Tokyo's Defenses

Despite the presence of a formidable (and expensive) underground flood control system, Tokyo may confront floods and rainfall that will challenge the city's capacity to protect itself.

October 24, 2017 - The New York Times

Fort Point Channel

Boston Plans Park Network for Resilience and Revitalization

The city hopes to accelerate development and mitigate flood risk along the industrial Fort Point Channel with a string of new parks.

October 11, 2017 - The Boston Globe

Stormwater Infrastructure

The Changing Paradigm of Stormwater Management

In the past, stormwater management has been about flood control. The future of stormwater, however, is in capturing, treating, and recharging water supply, according to this article.

September 6, 2017 - Maven's Notebook

Louisville Approves More Stringent Flood Protection Rules for New Development

As the remnants of Hurricane Harvey headed for Louisville, city officials were approving new legislation that enacts more stringent development standards in areas in flood prone areas.

September 2, 2017 - Courier-Journal

Rotterdam Maeslantkering

The Dutch: Ready to Export Their Flood Control Expertise

For those who want it, the Netherlands is willing to share the fruits of its centuries-long relationship with the unruly seas. In Rotterdam, lots of local urban solutions are also on display.

June 28, 2017 - The New York Times

Napa Oxbow Bypass

Partnerships Drove Napa Flood Control Project

The Napa River's Oxbow bypass doubles as public park space and an outlet when the river floods. The project brought together local environmentalists and the business community.

May 24, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Low-Income Communities Left Behind in the Sea-Level Rise Discussion

The recent Florid King Tide provided more evidence that some communities in Miami-Dade County have been prioritized bin the ongoing response to sea-level rise.

October 30, 2016 - CityLab

Stormwater

More Study Needed: How to Make Green Streets Work

A review of the current research into the effectiveness of green streets and green infrastructure finds gaps in our understanding of what works, and where.

September 3, 2016 - Green Infrastructure

Baton Rouge Louisiana

Lessons from Louisiana

We should have seen the historic flooding in the Florida Parishes region of Louisiana coming—both in preparation and in response—says a pair of recent articles.

August 31, 2016 - The Conversation

Houston Bayou

Houston's Floods a Reminder of the Importance of Wetlands Protection

The executive director of the Bayou Land Conservancy takes to the pages of the Houston Chronicle to describe the conservationist and landscape-focused efforts that can prevent floods like those that struck Houston this week.

April 21, 2016 - Houston Chronicle

Nashville Metro Council Rejects $100 Million Downtown Flood Control Project

Opponents of the capital investment plan rejected the plan on the basis that it focused too much on the downtown area.

June 11, 2015 - The New York Times

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?

May 29, 2015 - NRDC Switchboard

A New Approach to Flood Control Makes 'Room for the River'

A radical approach to flood control in the Netherlands will expand the flood plain of the River Waal while also creating new neighborhoods where people can live and work.

May 17, 2015 - Citiscope

A $3 Billion Proposal to Engineer New Jersey's Passaic River

The Passaic River, upriver from Newark, is a chronic flood threat to the communities along its banks. But a new plan to build a permanent solution could also block access to the river.

February 10, 2015 - The Record

Louisiana Lawmakers Facing Legal Drama Over Shrinking Coasts

Can Louisiana lawmakers succeed in retroactively overthrowing a lawsuit by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority against 97 oil and gas companies, all while the state's coastline continues to disappear at alarming rates?

May 29, 2014 - PBS NewsHour

Los Angeles River Kayak

Accommodating Floods Instead of Destroying Waterways

The flood management story of Boulder, Colorado, includes a successful encounter with a 1,000-year rain event, and its lessons are less about concrete and dams than one might think.

February 6, 2014 - Next American City

Flooding in Howard Beach

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.

January 6, 2014 - Next City

Is New York Doing Enough to Prepare for Rising Seas and Severe Storms?

Critics contend that New York's so-called resilience strategy doesn't go far enough in protecting the city's 520-mile-long coast and low-lying areas from the threats of rising seas and ever-more-severe storm flooding, reports Mireya Navarro.

September 11, 2012 - The New York Times

New Orleans Prepares for Biggest Test Since Katrina

Seven years after Katrina made mincemeat of the city's flood protections, Hurricane Isaac is bearing down on the Crescent City. Ingrid Norton looks at what's different this time around.

August 28, 2012 - Next American City

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.