by admin | Feb 5, 2015 | Climate, Disaster, Disaster policy, Government, Philanthropy, Resilience, Urban Planning
Resilience has typically been defined as an ability to bounce back from, and to withstand, shocks and crises. These can include natural disasters but also terrorist strikes, sudden economic downturns, or major industrial accidents. The term was borrowed from the field...
by admin | Jan 27, 2015 | Blogging, Disaster, Disaster policy, Economic development, Government, Public safety, Resilience, Urban Planning
Two weeks ago, I introduced a new report produced by the American Planning Association under a contract with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. I had the honor of managing the production of Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation over the four years...
by admin | Jan 19, 2015 | Activism, Civil rights, Government, History, Movies, Political philosophy, Racism
On this weekend of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, my wife and I spent last night watching the movie Selma before going out to dinner. Produced by Oprah Winfrey, who also plays the part a Selma protester, the movie focuses on Dr. King’s leadership of the March...
by admin | Jan 4, 2015 | Activism, Chicago, Government, Public safety, Racism
If I were a major celebrity like Oprah Winfrey, I could expect immediate and fierce feedback whenever I chose to comment on a controversial issue. I am not, but she is, and on Saturday, January 3, she got such feedback after expressing doubts about the leadership of...
by admin | Dec 23, 2014 | Blogging, Climate, Government, Political philosophy, Urban Planning, Writing
The holiday season is upon us, and despite having a modicum of free time that I have not enjoyed for a while, I confess—I am still struggling to compose as much material for this blog as I would prefer. But I am working on it, on some serious material on a variety of...
by admin | Dec 15, 2014 | Activism, Government, Political philosophy, Racism
There has been considerable angst in recent weeks about relations between police officers and young black men, and more than a little finger-pointing. While I certainly think this nation needs ongoing discussions about how race relations affect police activity and...