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.

Passed in October, the new rules are designed to allow residents of Hurricane Sandy-scarred territories to comply with FEMA flood regulations. One change involves how building heights are measured. While before building height was measured from the ground up, no matter the habitable level, now building height is measured from the base flood elevation plus two feet.
Because elevated buildings can interfere with a street’s human scale, the zoning laws also allow mitigating building features, including porches and stair-direction changes, Graham T. Beck writes. To ease the transition to the new regulations, the Department of City Planning has promised to go neighborhood by neighborhood to help communities plan for the future.
FULL STORY: New Law Will Lift New York's Waterfront Structures Up in the Air

National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.

Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.

Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.

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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
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EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
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Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service