Hazards Planning Research Center

Education

Training and technical assistance for planners and allied professionals.

Planning for a Disaster-Resistant Community

The Hazards Planning Research Center has continued work begun by the APA Research Department under a contract with FEMA in 2002 to develop a one-day training workshop on hazard mitigation planning for practicing planners. In addition to being hosted by APA chapters, regional planning agencies, and others, it has been a feature of the APA National Planning Conference each year as one of the AICP Professional Development workshops. FEMA and APA envision major revisions and updates to this workshop in coming years as a Phase II follow-up to the current research project on "Integrating Hazard Mitigation into Local Planning."

Presentation at New Partners for Smart Growth Conference

APA and FEMA have teamed up for a session at the New Partners for Smart Growth Conference in San Diego, February 2-4, 2012.

The session, Incorporating Smart Growth into Disaster Recovery Planning, is scheduled for Friday, February 3, 2012, from 1:30-3:00 p.m. The conference will be held at the San Diego Sheraton Hotel & Marina.

Moderated by Kathleen Smith of FEMA, the panel will include James Schwab, manager of APA's Hazards Planning Research Center; Kenneth C. Topping, principal of Topping Associates International and adjunct faculty at California Polytechnic State University; and John Jacob, of Texas Sea Grant.

Presentation at APA National Planning Conference

APA's 2012 National Planning Conference will highlight the Hazards Planning Research Center's current FEMA-funded project with a session using the same title: Planning for Post-Disaster Recovery. Moderated by Kathleen W. Smith of FEMA, the session is currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 17, 2012, at 9:00 a.m.