Natural Disasters
California Bans Insurance Companies From Dropping Homeowners in Wildfire Zones
The one-year moratorium is a stopgap measure to assist homeowners affected by recent wildfires as the state assesses ways of addressing the root causes of increasingly damaging natural disasters.
Most Americans Unaware of Flood Risks, Study Finds
The lack of disclosure laws in most states has led to an overvaluation of homes located in floodplains across the country.
Texas Grid Operator to Be Investigated by Congressional Subcommittee
Texas' costliest natural disaster will be the subject of a congressional investigation by a House Oversight subcommittee thanks to Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., who is concerned about ERCOT's lack of preparation for extreme winter weather.
2020 Sets Record for Billion-Dollar Disasters
Tropical storms, tornadoes, and wildfires, along with everything else.
Los Angeles County the Riskiest Place in the U.S., FEMA Says
The new National Risk Index calculates the brutal equations of natural disasters.
Adapting Building Codes to Natural Disasters Saves Billions
New research shows that modern building codes have prevented around $27 billion in damage from natural disasters between 2000 and 2016, yet many cities still operate under decades-old regulations.
Coastal Louisiana Communities Face Risks from Chemical Plants
Louisiana's chemical plants could release tons of toxic pollution into the air and water during storms, but anti-terrorism provisions make the process of finding risk management information prohibitively difficult.
Resilient Los Angeles: Preparing for Overlapping Disasters in Pandemic
L.A. City Chief Resilience Officer Aaron Gross elaborates on how the pandemic is shaping the city’s understanding of resilience and the cascading impact that overlapping disasters of earthquake or wildfire could have on the city’s limited resources.
New Census Report Captures the Housing Effects of Disasters
A new report from the U.S. Census Bureau offers a new approach to understanding the impact of disasters on local housing markets.
Five Years of 100 Resilient Cities
It's been five years since the Rockefeller Foundation launched the 100 Resilient Cities initiative. A new analysis by the Urban Institute evaluates the accomplishments of 100 Resilient Cities so far.
Scientists Warn Mega-Storm Could Make 'Lakes' of California Cities
If you live in California, you've heard predictions of a disastrous earthquake dubbed "the big one." Now, scientists are warning of an epic rainstorm that could cause three times as much damage.
Want an Earthquake Warning? There's an App for That
A new earthquake warning system is in place in the city of Los Angeles.
The Price of Natural Disasters
Worldwide, natural disasters cost $155 billion in 2018, according to an insurance industry report.
Flood Risk and Community Resiliency
An analysis of how flooding, the most frequent and costliest natural disaster in the U.S., will cause stress to the housing market in coming decades.
After Michael: Updating Florida's Building Code to Better Weather Future Storms
Code requirements for wind resistance vary substantially across Florida, with less stringent building requirements in areas of the Panhandle hit hard by Hurricane Michael.
San Francisco Considers More Aggressive Measures to Earthquake-Proof High Rises
The city has proposed tighter rules for new construction and a more active approach to securing existing tall structures from collapse.
Mapping the Repeated Occurrence of Natural Disasters
The New York Times publishes an interactive feature that illustrates the stubbornness of natural disasters (or humans, in the face of natural disasters).
In Texas, More Sprawl Means More Homes in the Path of Tornadoes
Revisiting one day in 2012, a reporter finds that many of the Dallas-Fort Worth areas affected by the storms were barely inhabited 20 years ago.
When Coastal States Kill Building Codes, FEMA Pays
Despite the increasing number and intensity of natural disasters, some vulnerable states are relaxing building regulations and leaving the federal government to pick up the tab when tragedy strikes again.
How to Fight 'Coastal Squeeze' By Engineering Nature
A Rutgers professor restores natural processes to help shorelines adapt to rising sea levels.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
