No city is stronger than a hurricane. But Houston, Tampa, and other U.S. cities in the path of Harvey and Irma could have been better prepared—and better planning and design could have mitigated the hurricanes’ impact. What is the current and future role for practitioners, policy makers, and researchers in responding to—and protecting against—national disasters? PennDesign counts some of the country’s leading voices in urban design and resilience as members of the faculty. In this event, Dean Frederick Steiner and PennDesign students and faculty will engage in an informal discussion about the lessons for planners, designers, preservationists, and artists in recent events. Light refreshments will be served.
Joining Dean Steiner are Matthijs Bouw, Rockefeller Resilience Fellow at PennDesign; Billy Fleming, research coordinator, Ian L. McHarg Center for Urbanism and Ecology; John Landis, professor of city and regional planning; Allison Lassiter, assistant professor of city and regional planning; Ellen Neises, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and executive director of PennPraxis; and Bob Yaro, practice professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning.
The Agenda
How did the built environment contribute to the recent disasters? Where do we go from here, in terms of disaster planning and design (prevention and mitigation)? What opportunities exist for people entering the design professions to make a difference in preventing future disasters and aiding in the rebuilding process?
Listen to a recent interview with Billy Fleming in the aftermath of Harvey about urban sprawl from Knowledge@Wharton.