by admin | Mar 19, 2017 | Activism, Climate, Economic development, Environment, Government, Housing, Infrastructure, National security, Natural Hazards, Politics, Public policy, Resilience, Science, Urban Planning, Water
The American Planning Association (APA), the organization that employs me as the manager of its Hazards Planning Center, made me proud last week. It took a rare step: It announced its opposition to President Donald Trump’s 2018 budget proposal. It is not that APA has...
by admin | Mar 5, 2017 | Disaster, Environment, Floodplain management, Floodplain management, Geography, Infrastructure, Natural Hazards, Resilience, Urban Planning
It has taken a long while in our modern society for the notion to take hold that some of the best solutions to reduce the impact of natural hazards can be found in nature itself. Perhaps it is the high cost of continuing to use highly engineered solutions to protect...
by admin | Feb 4, 2017 | Activism, Books, Climate, Disaster, Drought, Industry, Natural Hazards, Resilience, Science, Water, Wildfire
In times of political hostility to scientific truth, knowledgeable people sometimes wonder how we can progress without federal support for important initiatives such as adaptation to climate change. The answer, in a vibrant democracy, is that the truth often bubbles...
by admin | Jan 26, 2017 | Activism, Climate, Disaster, Disaster policy, National security, Natural Hazards, Public policy
I was made aware yesterday of a new petition on the White House website concerning climate change. The White House website has long contained a mechanism by which citizens can initiate an online petition on an issue of concern and then seek support from others to...
by admin | Jan 21, 2017 | Blogging, Careers, Disaster, Natural Hazards, Personal history, Travel, Urban Planning, Writing
“The cemeteries are full of indispensable people,” or variations thereof, is a quotation that has been attributed to many, including the late French President Charles de Gaulle, but according to Quote Investigator, actually belongs to an American writer Elbert Hubbard...
by admin | Jan 18, 2017 | Agriculture, Environment, Floodplain management, Infrastructure, Natural Hazards, Resilience, Urban Planning, Water
From time to time, I contribute to the APA Blog, which consists of a variety of news and perspectives the American Planning Association provides to its members on its own website. Recently, I composed an article about an effort APA undertook in concert with several...
