Flood Protection
Are FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Calculations Biased Against Rural Communities?
The federal tool used to inform flood protection spending calculates communities' risk by multiplying expected annual loss in dollars by their risk factor. As a result, many rural areas are classified as “low” risk, despite frequent, severe flooding.
HUD Issues New Flood Protection Rules
Housing that uses federal funding will be subject to stricter regulations that reflect increasing flood risks.
Southern Water Infrastructure at Risk From Climate Impacts
A water main breaks somewhere in the United States every two minutes, according to an estimate from the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Living Shorelines for Storm and Flood Protection
More coastal cities and communities are turning to the "soft" solutions of living shorelines—relying on "a combination of oyster reefs, oyster shells, rocks, marsh plants, and other natural materials can be an effective alternative to seawalls."
Coastal Virginia Testing a New Approach to Flood Planning
A new flood plan for Norfolk, Virginia aims to establish a new model for coastal resilience.
To Prevent Flooding in New Orleans, Holding Water Rather Than Pumping It
The city plans to use a different approach to tackle its longstanding flood problems.
How Best to Pay for Park, Wildlife, and Water Improvements
Only one of the five propositions on California's June primary ballot is a general obligation bond measure. Prop. 68 authorizes $4 billion for projects benefiting parks and water quality. Opponents prefer a pay-as-you-go approach using general funds.
Texas Flood Victims Searching for Answers
The controversy over the flooding of the Addicks Reservoir outside Houston seems to have no resolution in site. What follows is a cautionary tale about building homes where waters flood.
Study Compares Natural and Hybrid Infrastructure Options for Coastal Protection
As coastal communities look for new ways to build resilience, they'll need to consider options such as the natural and hybrid systems compared in a new study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Federal Dollars Still Erasing Sandy's Footprint
Subway restoration and resilience efforts depend for a large part on federal relief. South Ferry Station, still new when the storm hit, will basically be rebuilt from scratch.
The Environmental Disaster of Louisiana's Vanishing Coast
A rich new feature for ProPublica details what's described as "one of the greatest environmental and economic disasters in the nation’s history."
Testing the Many Aspects of Waterfront Resilience—In New York City
Principals from the Rebuild by Design competition, focusing on Red Hook in Brooklyn and Hunts Point in the South Bronx, discussed their designs and philosophies regarding New York City's resilience at the Center for Architecture.
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?
Louisiana Sues Energy Companies for Killing Coastal Defenses
For a century, energy companies have been digging up Louisiana's coast for exploration and pipelines. A state board that oversees flood-protection has now sued them for destroying the coastal wetlands that stood as a natural buffer against flooding.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
City of Bakersfield
Standridge Inc.
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
