David Salvesen

Evaluation of Networks of Plans and Vulnerability to Hazards and Climate Change: A Resilience Scorecard

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Land use planning is key to mitigating natural hazards and the effects of climate change. Communities adopt multiple plans that directly and indirectly address hazard mitigation; the integration of local plans can significantly affect future community vulnerability to hazards. We develop a resilience scorecard to assess the degree to which the network of local plans targets areas most prone to hazards and then evaluate the coordination of local plans and test it in Washington (NC), a community vulnerable to coastal floods and projected sea-level rise. We find that local plans are not fully consistent and do not always address the areas in a community most vulnerable to floods or sea level risks; moreover, some plans actually increase physical and social vulnerability to hazards. While these results indicate the validity of a resiliency scorecard, we were forced to use a narrow range of vulnerability indicators; better data would improve the process. Takeaway for practice: Planners can assume a crucial role in improving planning for hazards by using the scorecard to identify conflicts among local plans, assessing whether local plans target areas most vulnerable to specific hazards. Planners can inform the public and decision makers about missed opportunities to improve local hazard mitigation planning. To support such important efforts, the U.S. Federal -Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies should consider developing additional databases that are widely applicable and available.

Rebuilding the North Carolina Coast after Hurricane Fran: Did Public Regulations Matter?

The 320-mile oceanfront shoreline of North Carolina, one of the nations premier vacation destinations, is frequently struck by landfalling hurricanes and extratropical winter storms. In 1996, Hurricane Fran, two months after Hurricane Bertha, inflicted an estimated

Encouraging Residential Rehabilitation with Building Codes: New Jersey's Experience

7 billion in public and private damage, including 40,000 homes destroyed, 115,000 buildings damaged, and 25 lives lost. Post-storm rebuilding of the North Carolina coastal zone is governed by a complex array of federal, state, and local laws, of which the keystone is the state Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA). This act, as augmented by the National Flood Insurance Program and the federal Coastal Barrier Resources Act, seeks to reduce vulnerability to future coastal hazards through postdisaster adjustments in the horizontal and vertical placement of structures, among other measures. This article reviews experience in rebuilding the North Carolina oceanfront after the 1996 hurricanes to discern the influence, if any, of these laws. The research is based on review of postdisaster assessments, interviews with key personnel, news media reports, and direct observation. We found widespread compliance with vertical elevation and building codes but rather uneven application of minimum setbacks under CAMA, especially where vegetation was removed. Oceanfront structures are being built more strongly to resist wave and wind forces but are vulnerable to ongoing erosion, resulting in beach and dune scour, and possible stranding of structures below the mean high water line. Experience with temporary replacement of dunes and the shore road at North Topsail Beach indicates that political pressure may overwhelm the intent of Congress to limit repetitive loss costs for infrastructure, especially in areas designated under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act.

Collaborative School Planning and Active Schools: A Case Study of Lee County, Florida

Abstract Building codes designed to protect public safety from substandard construction may stifle efforts to revitalize urban areas by increasing the cost of renovating and reusing existing buildings. To remedy this problem, several states have adopted “smart building codes” to spur the renovation of older buildings. This article examines the impact of the first of these, New Jerseys rehabilitation subcode, on residential rehabilitation activity. Comparing residential rehabilitation activity in a sample of New Jersey jurisdictions with that in a sample of jurisdictions in nearby states without smart codes reveals that the subcode has increased the number of housing units rehabilitated, but not the aggregate value of rehabilitation activity. Localities enhance the positive effects of the New Jersey rehabilitation subcode when they allow building inspectors to use their discretion to remove additional barriers to rehabilitation that are difficult to foresee in a uniform state code.

The coastal barrier resources act: Has it discouraged coastal development?

To contribute to the understanding of the links between urban planning and school siting and, ultimately, the impact of both on physical activity, we conducted a case study of Lee County, Florida. Our study examined the extent of state-mandated collaboration between the Lee County School Board and Lee County government (e.g., the Lee County Department of Planning, the Office of Smart Growth, and the Department of Parks and Recreation). Specifically, we investigated planning processes under mandated coordination between the school board and the county and the impact of such coordination on the integration of land-use planning and school facility planning. By describing the process of mandated collaborative school planning in Florida, we illustrate the promise and pitfalls of such top-down legislation and offer insights to other state and local governments looking for ways to improve local planning and to increase physical activity among children.

Assessing the Quality of Rural Hazard Mitigation Plans in the Southeastern United States

Despite an effort by Congress to design a market-based public policy to limit development on certain coastal barriers and protect the federal treasury from paying for recovery from expensive natural disasters, growth continued on these shifting sands. In enacting the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, federal policymakers may have overlooked the key role of state and local governments, as well as the role of local developers, landowners, and realtors in shaping development on coastal barriers. By itself, the act will not prevent development. In fact, it appears that development in areas designated under the act will occur if (1) development pressure is strong enough to overcome the disincentives posed by the act, and (2) state and local governments facilitate development. For example, a local government may substitute its own subsidies for those withdrawn by the federal government. Nothing in the act prevents this from occurring. This article examines the key forces affecting development in areas designated under the Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) and seeks to explain why development has occurred in some designated areas, despite the withdrawal of federal subsidies. Using case studies of selected coastal barriers designated by the act, as well as surveys of state coastal managers and key informants, the research shows that the Coastal Barrier Resources Act, by itself, will not prevent development from occurring in the designated coastal areas.

Disaster Recovery Among Multiethnic Immigrants: A Case Study of Southeast Asians in Bayou La Batre (AL) After Hurricane Katrina

High-quality hazard mitigation plans may improve postdisaster outcomes in many ways, including establishing a community fact base and providing rationales for protective policies and actions. Hazard mitigation plans in eighty-four rural counties in the Southeastern United States were scored using an established protocol. To supplement quantitative data, twenty-one key informant interviews were conducted in a subsample of seven counties. While overall plan quality was poor, informants identified areas for improvement. Understanding potential shortcomings of rural hazard mitigation plans can help communities identify areas to direct limited resources to improve plans, particularly in communities that self-identify as highly vulnerable to disasters.

The Impact of Changes in State Minimum Acreage Policies on School Siting Practices

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Immigrants suffer disproportionately from disasters because they have limited capacity to prepare for, respond to, or recover from a disaster. Unfortunately, planners and emergency managers are often inadequately trained or educated about the unique sociocultural needs and assets among immigrant groups. Hurricane Katrina exposed challenges to long-term recovery among Southeast Asian immigrants in Bayou La Batre (AL). We employ qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, focus groups with immigrants, and site visits, to better understand the barriers to disaster recovery and to inform local, state, federal, and nongovernmental agencies on how to better prepare disaster plans that would improve disaster recovery for multiethnic, multicultural, immigrant populations. We find four significant categories of sociocultural barriers to disaster recovery for Southeast Asian immigrants in Bayou La Batre: 1) language, literacy, and communication; 2) cultural differences in help-seeking; 3) inability to navigate the disaster recovery bureaucracy; and 4) and lack of leadership. Despite these barriers to recovery, immigrant groups can also teach us about resiliency in the face of disaster. The levels of trust, cooperation, and collaboration within the ethnic immigrant community help to buffer the damaging effects during the response and recovery period. Takeaway for practice: Our study reveals that cultural competency among staff members engaged in preparedness, response, and recovery is essential for an effective disaster recovery process. Furthermore, engaging immigrant groups in long-term recovery requires trust and relationship building prior to a disaster. In doing so, more culturally appropriate and effective disaster recovery plans can be developed.

Assessing Local Government Capacity to Manage and Model Military-Induced Growth in Eastern North Carolina

Researchers and advocates have linked state guidelines on minimum acreage for schools to the abandonment of historic schools and increased barriers to walking and biking to school. This study examined how the elimination of minimum acreage standards in four states affected school planning processes and outcomes using mixed methods. We found that states changed school acreage policies because of concerns about sprawl and the rising costs of education facilities. However, changes in state acreage policies have not been accompanied by changes in district-level school planning processes and therefore on-the-ground impacts have been minimal in the years immediately after the policy change.

Assessing Disaster Preparedness of Officials and Residents in Two North Carolina Counties

Abstract Military expansion can profoundly affect surrounding communities, which are often rural and have low capacities for accommodating rapid growth and associated impacts. Urban growth models that can assist community planning are often complex and costly. We describe a case study in a rural, coastal region of the American state of North Carolina that has been affected by rapid military expansion. The study used informant interviews and analysis of land-use plans to contextualize a review of urban growth models that fit local needs and capacities. Our findings suggest a method for selecting modeling tools that match community-specific capacities and needs that can be applied in other regions experiencing rapid, military-induced growth.