Is Mother nature commenting on our Development patterns?

What are your thoughts on Planning, weather, development, architecture and nature?

Weather patterns, urban sprawl, human nature add up to extraordinary tornado death toll


Jon Munn • Yes we can we make our buildings, neighbourhoods and cities physically more resilient to more erratic and violent weather (regardless of ‘anthopogenic climate change’). For centuries people have planned for vulnerabilities, but social conditions have also pushed people to the margins: flood plains, land slip areas, soils prone to liquefaction, open spaces on ‘tornado alley’ and so on. Many spaces may just be less expensive alternatives. Some earthship owners may argue, but I think it comes back to community decisions. Good placement, design and construction of community buildings and infrastructure are a key to resilience. There is only so much we can and should do with growing the human footprint though. The Japanese earthquake-tsunami shows that despite excellent emergency planning, we can be overwhelmed in our physical world. What is showing in Japan now is a cultural resilience. What can always be learned is humankind’s greatest strength: the ability to come together to support each other. First, foster social resilience, then plan with nature.

Linda Allen • Adaptation to physical challenges has always been the essence of humankind, individually, in extended families, communities and societies. Take a look @ the recent National Geographic’s photojournalism story on Bangladesh!. A country continually threatened by massive flooding, now exposed to rising sea levels. One plank of its government policy on climate change is aggressive out-migration!


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