It’s a question that vexes communities whenever a natural disaster occurs: Why do residents ignore repeated warnings to leave? Unlike man-made disasters, which tend to be unpredictable, natural disasters are often cyclical. In the cases of Hurricanes Katrina, Ike, Isaac … Continue reading →
National Public Works Week, May 19–25, will be both a celebration of success and a somber review of how much farther U.S. infrastructure improvement and maintenance has to go. On March 19, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave the … Continue reading →
Columbia, Mo., fire chief outlines goals and challenges Fire fighting in Columbia, Mo., has come a long way since Chief Albert Newman, his assistant and 11 parttime and volunteer firemen established the first paid department in the city in 1893. … Continue reading →
Keeping roads in tiptop shape is never easy, especially in areas where the weather can be frightful and cities have to deploy a fleet of plows, sand and salt trucks to clear them year after year. There are four key … Continue reading →
How would your community react if the power went out for days or weeks at a time? That’s the question Rhonda Mosely poses to local governments and members of the private sector in order to help them create a continuum … Continue reading →
On Dec. 13, 2012, Newtown, Conn., was an idyllic and relatively unheard-of New England community. But at 9:30 a.m. the following day, it became synonymous with Aurora, Virginia Tech, Columbine and other scenes of national tragedy after a gunman entered … Continue reading →
Barb Anderson, 2012-13 chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Advocacy Committee, says she has a passion for sustainable building. She also has more than 25 years of experience in architecture and sustainable design. Through the USGBC, the Oates Associates … Continue reading →
Arriving just in time for Halloween, “Frankenstorm” Sandy brought 70-90 mph winds, rain, sea swells and blizzard-like conditions to most of the eastern U.S. seaboard. The hurricane looks to have been one of the costliest natural disasters on record, with … Continue reading →
Chattanooga installs gigabit Ethernet system Chattanooga, Tenn., is on the cusp of the future thanks to the installation of a $300 million high-speed fiber optic Ethernet system that transformed the southern metropolis into the nation’s first gigabyte city. Mayor Ron … Continue reading →
November of 2008 wasn’t the easiest time to be appointed fire chief for the city of Naperville, Ill., Mark Puknaitis said. With the country immersed in the mire of an economic recession, he knew that every city and town would … Continue reading →
Municipalities need funding for a wide variety of community projects, including the acquisition of new vehicular equipment, infrastructure improvements, software upgrades, public works initiatives and other community services. Whatever the need, there are a host of options such as grants, … Continue reading →
