disaster recovery
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.
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?
International Aid Lands in the U.S.
Millions of dollars donated by the United Arab Emirates are being used to fund the rebuilding of Joplin, Mo., which was devastated by a tornado in 2011. The handouts represent a "remarkable shift in global economic power."
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.
In Japanese Tsunami Zone, a Plan to Elevate Cities
The Yomiuri Shimbun reports on plans to elevate the ground level in urban areas that were inundated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, prior to rebuilding. One town will elevate its land by 17 meters (55 feet).
How New York Failed Its Neediest After Sandy
In an expose that many have been clamoring for since the days immediately following Sandy when stories of people stranded in NYC's public housing came to light, the Times explores how NYCHA and the city were unprepared for the storm's aftermath.
Bloomberg Backs Beachfront Rebuild
In a speech Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg laid out his strategy for rebuilding a stronger, smarter New York in anticipation of future natural disasters.
MTA Disaster Aid Request: Appropriate or Overreach?
This week, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority made public its request for $5 billion in federal aid to rebuild what was damaged during Superstorm Sandy. But a look at the details reveals an ambitious agenda for improvements.
Should Taxpayers Fund the Rebuilding of Coastal Communities?
In the "Room for Debate" section of The New York Times, five experts debate whether the federal government should continue to subsidize the cost of coastal reconstruction in the aftermath of storms.
After Sandy, NYC Will Undertake Unprecedented Reshaping of Neighborhoods
Over the weekend it was announced that New York City will need to demolish hundreds of homes damaged during Superstorm Sandy. The complicated process for determining what will be rebuilt has yet to begin.

Occupy Sandy: A New Model for Disaster Response?
One of the odd twists of the Sandy aftermath is the repurposing of the Occupy Wall Street apparatus as one of the most effective aid groups operating in New York. Could their work serve as a model for locally-based disaster recovery?
NYC's Subways Are Up and Running Again - How'd They Do It?
It's taken a Herculean effort to get New York's subway system up and running again after Sandy; but it's one that's progressed far below the streets of the city and out of view of most. Morgan Clendaniel examines what MTA employees have been up to.
What Can Sandy Learn from Katrina about Housing?
As the Sandy clean-up gets underway, could this be an opportunity for the Eastern Seaboard to apply some of the rebuilding lessons learned along the Gulf Coast after Katrina? Ben Brown shares some pointers.
In Lower East Side, Cell Phones and Social Media More Helpful than FEMA or Red Cross
In blacked-out Manhattan, recovery is slow, if not entirely absent. To help fill the void left by public agencies, a self-organized recovery effort is trying to help those left behind, with the assistance of technology.
Roadblocks Along the Road to Recovery in Japan
Christopher Hawthorne reports from Japan on the many obstacles preventing areas destroyed by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami from proceeding with rebuilding, as the recovery effort stalls in the cleanup stage.
Haiti Struggles to Rebuild
On the second anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, Sara Miller Llana assesses the rebuilding effort.
Prepared for Disaster, But not to Respond
Japan is typically associated with strong disaster preparedness plans, but the devastation following the March tsunami highlights some of the nation's shortcomings in adapting and reacting, according to this piece from Citiwire.
Design Solutions for Japan's Recovery
In the coming days and years, Japan needs to address a host of issues related to earthquake recover and design, including damaged infrastructure, population and housing, energy, the economy and global impact.
Pagination
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.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service