by admin | Dec 4, 2016 | Disaster policy, Geography, Government, Natural Hazards, Public policy, Public safety, Science, Urban Planning
Nearly nine years ago, when I was invited to accept a three-week visiting fellowship in New Zealand with the Centre for Advanced Engineering in New Zealand (CAENZ) at the University of Canterbury, people began to ask me why the New Zealanders were so interested in me...
by admin | Nov 27, 2016 | Books, Climate, Government, National security, Science
It was the end of yet another trip to Washington, D.C. I generally find myself in the nation’s capital between three to five times per year, all depending on project needs, meeting invitations, and other factors mostly relevant to my work for the American Planning...
by admin | Nov 15, 2016 | Climate, Disaster, Government, Resilience, Science, Urban Planning
What makes a community stronger and more resilient in the face of severe weather threats and disasters? Clearly, preparation, awareness of existing and potential problems, and a willingness to confront harsh realities and solve problems are among the answers. Can we...
by admin | Sep 8, 2016 | Climate, Disaster policy, Floodplain management, Floodplain management, Government, Public policy, Public safety, Science, Technology, Urban Planning, Water
The American Planning Association has just posted today this article I wrote for its APA blog: https://www.planning.org/blog/blogpost/9111027/. Jim Schwab
by admin | Aug 13, 2016 | Agriculture, Environment, Public health, Public policy, Science, Water
Ours has often been a profligate society in using the vast natural resources with which it was originally endowed. We’ve improved our attitudes about conservation, but we have a long way to go. Among those resources we have been prone to waste in the interest...
by admin | May 1, 2016 | Climate, Disaster, Drought, Government, Public policy, Resilience, Science, Water
Drought has historically been the disaster that fails to focus our attention on its consequences until it is too late to take effective action. While other disasters like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and most floods have a quick onset that signals trouble, and...