James H Schwab

Planning and Drought (Planning Advisory Service Report)

A tornado rips through town. A hurricane blasts along the coast. Most natural disasters hit hard and fast. Droughts are different. They steal in, one cloudless day after another, often catching communities unprepared. Planning and Drought helps planners, public agencies, and local officials see the ...

Planning for Wildfires

Wildfires are both dangerous and costly, yet people continue to build in wildfire-prone areas. This poses challenges for governments and planners, who must decide whether to permit development in such areas and how best to design developments that are allowed. This report explores both issues, outli...

Hazard Mitigation: Integrating Best Practices into Planning (Planning Advisory Service Report)

Every year, communities face natural hazards—floods, wildfires, landslides, earthquakes—that can cause millions of dollars in property damage. Development patterns of the past that ignored the risks of building on vulnerable sites such as floodplains and hillsides have exacerbated the problem. Well-...

Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery: Next Generation (Pas Report)

In 1998, the American Planning Association published the first guidebook for local planners confronting all types of natural disasters: flood, earthquake, tornado, wildfire, and hurricane. Now APA has issued a new report with the latest policies and procedures. The updated manual offers a no-nonsens...

Regional Approaches to Affordable Housing (American Planning Association: Planning Advisory Service Report)

Do regional approaches to affordable housing actually result in housing production and, if so, how? Regional Approaches to Affordable Housing answers these critical questions and more. Evaluating 23 programs across the nation, the report begins by tracing the history of regional housing planning in ...

Landslide Hazards and Planning

Is a landslide waiting to happen in your community? Landslides occur primarily in mountainous regions, but flatter parts of the country are not immune. Landslides often go hand-in-hand with other natural disasters such as wildfires and floods, making them an important consideration in hazard mitigat...

Planning the Urban Forest: Ecology, Economy, and Community Development

Trees, especially as part of a regional or urban green ecosystem, help create a better quality of life. Urban forests act as green infrastructure that conserves natural ecosystems and sustains clean air and water. They reduce stormwater runoff, cool the urban heat island, reduce air pollution, and p...

The U.S. Agricultural Policy Debate: An Annotated Bibliography

Planning for Wildfires