Flooding
With a Little Help From Their Dutch Friends, Could New York Become New Amsterdam?
“In recent days, the Netherlands’ peerless expertise and centuries of experience in battling water have been widely hailed in the United States as offering lessons" for New York and for other cities alike, writes Andrew Higgins.
Challenging the Rush to Rebuild
Justin Gillis outlines some harsh criticisms of disaster response efforts that rebuild without rethinking – and how much it's costing taxpayers across the country.
Record Floods Submerge Venice
New York isn't the only famous city suffering from the effects of record high water levels. Seventy percent of Venice is submerged. The Daily Mail has stunning images of tourists swimming in St. Mark's Square and wading through waist-high water.
What is the World's Most Vulnerable City to Flooding?
Based on a range of data, including 19 different components, a new study examining cities located on river deltas has determined that Shanghai is the most vulnerable to major flooding.
What an Epic Rain Revealed About Beijing
The historic rainstorm that struck the Chinese capital last Saturday washed away the gloss of decades of rapid growth, revealing the failures of its infrastructure and its leaders, write Jacob Fromer and Edward Wong.
Who Willl Foot the Bill for CA's Flood Plan?
Tens of billions of dollars are to be side aside for a plan to protect against flooding of the San Joaquin River basin. Cities wonder if this "broad road map" is enough to protect those truly at risk, and, of course, who pays for it.
Subway Vent Benches Kill Two Birds With One Stone
Hurricane Irene brought flooding to the M and R subway lines in Queens, prompting the MTA to seek innovative ways to prevent it from happening again. Rogers Marvel Architects developed an innovative solution that also creates a bench above.
Mississippi River Course Change Likely
By analyzing maps and topographical information, this post from Data Pointed shows how the Mississippi River is likely to change course and head towards lower ground.
Chilean Dam Project Approved Amid Controversy
A plan approved to build a $7 billion dam in Chile has some worried about the loss of land, but others excited about looming economic opportunities.
Philadelphia Goes Porous
Philadelphia's water department has opened its first street made of porous pavement, which will help city streets safer by absorbing rain water.
Physically Modeling and Understanding Floods in the U.S.
Despite efforts to stop them, floods hammered the U.S. in the early 20th century. A now abandoned model of the Mississippi river, its tributaries and surrounding lands was built to better understand how to combat those floods.
Rethinking Development As Queensland Recovers From Floods
Drastic flooding inundated Queensland, Australia, and damaged many of the city's buildings. As recovery begins, some are rethinking the city's development patterns.
Tourist-Centric Venice Loses Population
As floods increase and the tourist-focus of the city pervades, Venice, Italy is losing much of its charm -- and its native population.
The Flood and the Sprawl of Brisbane
Devastating floods have inundated Brisbane, Australia. Some say the city's sprawling development pattern fueled the destruction.
Five Levels of Public Space
HafenCity is a district in Hamburg that is being built with flooding in mind. One way the development prepares for rising waters is having several layers of public space that can be used, creating a model for cities facing global warming.
Flooding Devastates Pakistan's Infrastructure
With 62,000 square miles of the country flooded and affected by monsoons, Pakistan's infrastructure is expected to be set back for years.
The Straw That Breaks The Infrastructure's Back
Using five examples, this piece from The New York Times looks at how small problems can lead to huge issues in America's aging infrastructure.
Rethinking New Orleans' Levees
Three design firms offer new ideas for redesigning New Orleans' levees.
Interference with Delta Geography Enabled Katrina's Devastation
The environmental and infrastructural conditions that brought about the flooding of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 remain today, and have the potential to cause similar devastation, according to this piece.
Rewiring Manila to Avoid Devastation of Natural Disasters
The leading architect and urban planner from the Philippines is calling on the city of Manila to take stronger precautions in the face of earthquakes and other natural disasters.
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
