by admin | May 4, 2026 | Activism, Chicago, Climate, Economics, Energy Conservation, Environment, Government, Infrastructure, Personal history, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Urban Planning
The ceremony began with the ritual burning of some coal in a small firepit outside the front door of Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park, in Chicago. The coal fire was soon extinguished, but the flame was used to light candles as people processed, singing “This...
by admin | Apr 22, 2026 | Activism, Agriculture, architecture, Business, Chicago, Climate, Environment, Government, Housing, Philanthropy, Public policy, Renewable Energy, Resilience, Technology, Transportation, Urban Planning, Volunteerism
Once I was in downtown Chicago on April 16, at the corner of Adams and LaSalle, my first task was to enter what once was a bank building and pick up a name tag that had a number on the back. The second task was to take an elevator to the 40th floor and start meeting...
by admin | Feb 4, 2026 | Chicago, Climate, Coastal Management, Disaster, Florida, Hurricanes, Insurance, Iowa, Journalism, Movies, Parks, Personal history, Restaurants, Sports, Tornado, Urban Planning, Weather
It was about 11:15 a.m. on Sunday, January 25, when my United Airlines flight from Sarasota, Florida, landed at O’Hare International Airport, and I finally started getting text messages again. The very first one was from Angel, our 22-year-old grandson, whom I had...
by admin | Dec 26, 2024 | Careers, Climate, Disaster, Disaster Recovery, Education, Floodplain management, Hazard Mitigation, History, Iowa, Natural Hazards, Personal history, Public policy, Resilience, Retirement, Texas, Urban Planning, Weather
About the time the rising Cedar River crested in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 13, 2008, a torrential downpour from an incoming thunderstorm joined forces with it to create the perfect flood. In the previous flood of record in the city, the river had reached 20...
by admin | Aug 12, 2024 | Careers, Coronavirus, Disaster, Disaster Recovery, Government, Hazard Mitigation, History, Hurricanes, Natural Hazards, Parks, Recreation, Resilience, Retirement, Urban Planning, Water
Let’s try to imagine: You are the chief executive officer for a 1,300-acre public park in New Orleans, the largest in the city, although it does not belong to the city. It is incorporated under the state of Louisiana. You spend the weekend of Friday, August 26, 2005,...
by admin | Nov 29, 2023 | Disaster, Disaster Recovery, Florida, Resilience, Urban Planning, Volunteerism
Over the past few months, we have posted ten short blog videos detailing the progress of Planning to Turn the Tide, the documentary on planning for resilience against natural disasters being produced by the American Planning Association’s Hazard Mitigation and...
