Rutherford H. Platt

Rutherford H. Platt is Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Lifetime National Associate of The National Academies. He is the author of Disasters and Democracy: The Politics of Extreme Natural Events and Reclaiming American Cities: The Struggle for People, Place, and Nature Since 1900, among many other publications. Platt has served on various panels of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council and has consulted with diverse federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

Land Use and Society, Third Edition

Geography, Law, and Public Policy

The intersection between geography and law is a critical yet often overlooked element of land-use decisions, with a widespread impact on how societies use the land, water, and biodiversity around them. Land Use and Society, Third Edition is a clear and compelling guide to the role of law in shaping patterns of land use and environmental management. Originally published in 1996 and revised in 2004, this third edition has been updated with data from the 2010 U.S.

Disasters and Democracy

The Politics Of Extreme Natural Events

In recent years, the number of presidential declarations of “major disasters” has skyrocketed. Such declarations make stricken areas eligible for federal emergency relief funds that greatly reduce their costs. But is federalizing the costs of disasters helping to lighten the overall burden of disasters or is it making matters worse? Does it remove incentives for individuals and local communities to take measures to protect themselves?