Hurricane Sandy

Variety of Rebuilding Approaches Befuddle Sandy Victims

The lack of a single strategy for how to protect the areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy from future storms leaves residents to choose between two unappealing options: rebuild in place and risk future disaster or abandon their neighborhoods.

April 9, 2013 - Bloomberg

Poor Renters, not Middle Class Homeowners, Were Hardest Hit by Sandy

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the news media were fixated on the plight of middle-class homeowners in places like the Rockaways in Queens. But two new reports show that low-income renters were the more prevalent victims of the storm.

March 8, 2013 - Crain's New York Business

N.J. Town Considers 'Radical Surgery' to Prevent Future Floods

With Galveston, Texas as their model, city leaders in the Jersey Shore town of Highlands are considering whether to raise the entire downtown as a bulwark against storm damage and rising seas.

February 27, 2013 - The New York Times

Should Architects Be Allowed to Assist in Disaster Recovery?

After Hurricane Sandy, hundreds of architects and engineers offered their services to assist an overwhelmed NYC Department of Buildings in assessing storm-damaged properties. So why were they turned away?

February 26, 2013 - Crain's New York Business

Rebuild or Retreat? NY Pols Take Sides in Post-Sandy Debate

New York Gov. Cuomo has proposed a $400 million buyout and relocation program, while Sen. Charles Schumer has joined the growing chorus calling for rebuilding to a higher standard in storm-damaged areas. Will their recovery efforts collide?

February 21, 2013 - Crain's New York Business

Building a Better Dune

As the destructive force of Hurricane Sandy demonstrated, all sand dunes are not created equal. But as coastal communities start to rebuild their defenses for the next storm, they're trying to close the gap with Mother Nature.

February 17, 2013 - NPR

Burned by Sandy, Hoboken Seeks to Become Model for Hurricane Resilience

The low-lying city of 50,000 across the Hudson River from Manhattan was badly damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Mayor Dawn Zimmer wants to city to serve as a model for how to develop a uniquely urban approach to extreme storm preparation.

February 14, 2013 - The New York Times

Cuomo Proposes Bold Plan to Return NY Coastline to Nature

An ambitious plan being proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo would see $400 million spent to purchase homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy with the intent of demolishing them and returning their properties to undeveloped coastline, reports Thomas Kaplan.

February 4, 2013 - The New York Times

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.

February 4, 2013 - Crain's New York Business

Sandy Damaged Homes Sold 'As Is' for Millions

Homes in the Rockaways are being marketed and sold in the battered conditions that Hurricane Sandy left them, reports Elizabeth A. Harris. Existing residents view them as investment opportunities, but long-term market conditions are uncertain.

January 30, 2013 - The New York Times

Bracing for Sandy's Second Impact

First came the floods from torrential rains and record storm surges. Now, long after the flood waters have receded, localities across the New York region are bracing for receding finances from declining property tax revenues.

January 26, 2013 - The New York Times

Katrina and Sandy: Devastating Storms, But That's Where the Similarities End

Roberta Brandes Gratz examines the many differences, and few similarities, between the two most devastating urban storms of recent memory. Among the most elemental differences: one devastated neighborhoods, one a city; one was man-made, one natural.

January 25, 2013 - Citiwire

Building Storm Defenses While Turning a Profit

The Rockefeller Foundation unveils its innovative plan to incentivize private investors to provide the infrastructure solutions for eight U.S. cities most vulnerable to extreme storms and rising seas.

January 21, 2013 - The Washington Post

What the Sandy Recovery Bill Gets Wrong

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a two-part bill to fund the recovery from Hurricane Sandy. In an essay written prior to the vote, Rob Young criticizes the rush to approve rebuilding the entire coast as it was before the storm.

January 17, 2013 - Bloomberg

Sandy Already Changing How Buildings are Designed in NYC

From roof mounted gas-powered generators to emergency floodgates and watertight mechanical rooms, developers and their designers in New York are already incorporating preventative measures into new and revised designs for their buildings.

January 17, 2013 - The New York Times

In Preview of NY Climate Mitigation Strategy, a Menu of Options

In a draft report being circulated by one of the commissions established by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to develop recommendations for adapting New York to climate change, a menu of infrastructure improvements, from hard to soft, are being proposed.

January 7, 2013 - The New York Times

'Fleeting Paradise' Shows the Perils of Wetland Restoration

In the Bronx, three acres of newly planted wetlands were destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. As New York seeks to fortify its coast, should it rebuild this 'Paradise in the Bronx'?

January 7, 2013 - The New York Times

New York's MTA Seeks New Leader

Joseph Lhota, the chairman and chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has announced his resignation at the end of this year. Who will be next to lead the nation's largest public transportation system?

December 27, 2012 - The New York Times

Despite Sandy, Brooklyn Waterfront Still Primed for Development

“Several new developments are slated for construction in areas damaged by the storm such as Gowanus, Red Hook, and DUMBO,” writes Nicole Anderson, raising concerns about the appropriateness of development there and proper due diligence.

December 24, 2012 - The Architects Newspaper

Recapping a Notable Year in Landscape Architecture

Charles A. Birnbaum marks the milestones that have contributed to landscape architecture's growing stature over the past year.

December 19, 2012 - Huffington Post

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.