Floods
Chicago's underground flood control system is almost full
The system known as Deep Tunnel has never filled much more than halfway, but the cumulative effect of recent rains is putting suburban communities at risk of flooding.
Over a Quarter of US Homes Face ‘Severe or Extreme’ Climate Risk
The number of U.S. homes at risk from hurricanes, fires, or flooding is valued at close to $13 trillion.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
FEMA Suspends Flood Rebuilding Standard
The rule was designed to prevent the rebuilding of government-funded projects in areas prone to repeated floods.
North Carolina Is Building an Online Tool to Quantify Outcomes of Flood Projects
The tool will allow local planners to evaluate impacts of flooding and prioritize projects with the biggest return on investment.
As Development in Flood-Prone Areas Continues, Cities Are Slow to Respond
Drawn by affordable property, low taxes, and job opportunities, high numbers of Americans continue to move to flood-prone areas even as the threat of catastrophic flooding grows.
How the Yellowstone Floods Laid Bare a Housing Crisis
This year’s historic floods ravaged communities already roiled by spiking housing costs and a shortage of available workforce housing near the nation’s oldest national park.
Where Floods Follow Wildfires
Neighborhoods not previously at risk of flooding face new challenges as burn scars from recent fires leave them vulnerable to floods.
Fort Worth Spending More on Flood Control; Still Well Short of What’s Needed
Fort Worth could spend $136 million on stormwater infrastructure and flood control over the next five years. In all, the city needs more like $1 billion of investment.
Flooding 210 Days a Year—No Storms Necessary
It no longer takes a storm to cause flooding in many coastal areas of the United States. Galveston, Texas could eventually face floods more than half the days of the year.
Saving Lower Manhattan
A debate over how to protect the East River waterfront from Sandy-level flooding and storm damage has delayed the project as community activists decry the city's last-minute change of plans.
Are Tall Buildings Safer When It Floods?
Conventional wisdom is that the most resilient city is that keeps high-density housing out of flood zones. But if flooding can happen miles inland, is that still true?
New York Needs Permeable Streets to Mitigate Future Flooding
To reduce the severity of disruptive subway flooding, the city can implement street-level solutions that absorb and redirect water before it reaches the train tunnels.
How New York City Can Prepare for the Next Catastrophic Floods–Now
The city must take urgent action to mitigate the effects of increasingly damaging rainstorms.
Over 80 Million People Live in Flood Zones
New research shows a 24% increase in people living in flood-prone areas since 2000, prompting calls for increased adaptation measures.
Flooded: How Natural Disasters Lead to Predatory Lending in the Rio Grande Valley
The devastation that communities in the Rio Grande Valley face is twofold: the initial destruction of the floods and the cycle of debt and poverty as a result of predatory loans.
Proposed Citywide Rezoning Would Layer Resilience in New York City
With 520 miles of coastline, New York City is ready to implement the lessons of Hurricane Sandy in the zoning code for the entire city.
Where Cities Flout Flood Protection Rules, the Public Still Subsidizes Insurance
An investigation by the New York Times reveals the ongoing neglect of flood considerations in developing parts of the United States—practice that comes with large costs to the taxpaying public.
All New Commercial Developments Require Porous Pavement in New Orleans
After the challenges of a rainy season with persistent flooding last year, New Orleans is ensuring that the future of its development is more stormwater friendly than its past.
Moving People Out of Flood Zones Is a Win-Win Strategy
As the threat of flooding increases, buyout programs to relocate homeowners are a better alternative to rebuilding—for cities and residents.
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
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
