Landslides Research

Recent trends in development in the U.S. suggest that lands subject to landslides and earth failures are facing increasing pressures to develop. Whereas the land-use implications of other natural hazards, such as earthquakes or flooding, have been tended to by federal, state, and local governments, landslide hazards have not received the same amount of attention. Part of the problem may be due to the nature of the hazard. Unlike earthquakes or flood hazard areas, landslide-susceptible areas cannot be easily identified because they depend on factors beyond slope and terrain characteristics. Although a number of successful techniques for identifying and mitigating landslide hazards have been developed through federal programs at USGS and FEMA, little of this information has reached planners and other public officials at the city, town, county, or regional levels who's incremental development decisions shape the landscape.

The APA's research department embarked on a program to bring together solutions from multiple disciplines into a single source. It will help serve local planning efforts in identifying landslide hazards sufficiently early in the planning process so as to minimize exposure to landslide risks.

Research Report Now Available

The focus of the research program has been to develop several products for planners and local government officials.

Now available is Landslide Hazards and Planning (PAS 533/534) by Paula L. Gori, Sanjay Jeer, and Jim Schwab. This 175-page report will help planners minimize the risk landslides pose to life and property. It offers basic knowledge of the natural and man-made factors that trigger landslides, as well as information needed to identify at-risk areas and determine whether development should be permitted there.

Click here to purchase the landslides report

In addition, we envision:

• A training and workshop program for local planners and planning commission members.
• A series of GIS and computer-based mapping and analytical tools with relevant national-level remote sensing data from USGS and other federal agencies.
• A curriculum outline for use by planning schools to incorporate this topic in planning programs.

Research Methodology and Approach

The approach to this program recognizes the diversity of the audience. Planning functions vary widely in their scope, purpose, and intent. They also vary by level of government. For example, local governments prepare long-range, community-wide plans, and they adopt land-use control tools, such as zoning and subdivision ordinances. State governments provide enabling legislation and coordinate emergency response in times of disasters. Regional governments plan and estimate regional impacts. Planners working in each of these contexts affect how landslide hazards are identified and what development is permitted within or near these areas. The approach will be to provide comprehensive guidance to a wide variety of planning and community development interests.

To kick off the research program, the APA hosted a Landslides Symposium to scope the research program and to help determine the level of guidance that is needed for planners working at the local government level.

What Are Landslides?

Click here to read more about them.