Urban Planning & Hazards: Evolving Engagement

James C. Schwab, AICPManager, Hazards Planning Center

American Planning Association

2015 Natural Hazards WorkshopOpening Plenary

Part I: APA Conference Attendance

• American Planning Association Data:• Current membership ~40,000• Annual conference in April since 1978• Resulted from merger of ASPO and AIP in 1978• Predecessor conferences date back to 1909• This year’s conference held in Seattle

• Active research program since 1949• National Centers for Planning dates to 2008

• Hazards• Green Communities• Planning and Community Health

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

2015

0

400

800

1200

1600

2000

2400

2800

3200

APA NPC: Climate Change and Hazard Session Attendance Totals Per Year

Attendance

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

2015

02468

101214161820222426

NPC: Number of Climate Change and Hazard Session Totals Per Year

Sessions

Courses0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Climate Change- and Hazard-Related Courses from 117 Universities that offer an Urban Planning Degree or Equivalent

UndergradPostgrad

Hazard and Disaster Courses

Climate Change Courses0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Hazard/Disaster and Climate Change Related Courses from 117 Universities that offer an

Urban Planning Degree or Equivalent

UndergradPostgrad

Universities that do not offer Hazard and

Climate related courses

79%

Universities that offer Hazard and Climate

related courses21%

Percentage of Universities that offer Un-dergraduate Courses in Hazard and Climate

Change Related Issues

Universities that do not offer Hazard

and Climate related courses

69%

Universities that of-fer Hazard and Climate related

courses31%

Percentage of Universities that offer Postgraduate Courses in Hazard- and Cli-

mate-Related Issues

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Hazard Mitiga-tion

Post-Disaster Recov-eryClimate Adapta-tion

Number of Hazard Mitigation, Post-Disaster Recovery, and Climate Adaptation Articles in JAPA and JPER from

1995 to 2014

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

2013

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Total Number of Articles Related to Hazard Mitigation, Post-Disaster Recovery, and

Climate Adaptation in JAPA and JPER from 1995 to 2014

# of Articles

Looking Forward

• Integration of hazard mitigation through all aspects of local and regional planning processes

• Integration of climate change data into local hazard mitigation planning

• Integration of climate change data into capital improvements programming

• More emphasis on pre-disaster recovery planning and resilience

• Relationship of resilience and sustainability• Higher demand for all these skills in the market for

professional planners

Contact Information:

• James C. Schwab, AICP• E-mail: jschwab@planning.org• Phone: 312-786-6364• Hazards Planning Center website:

https://www.planning.org/nationalcenters/hazards/

The Hazards Planning Center advances practices that promote resilience by reducing the impact of natural hazards on communities and regions.