What is alanworldview?

Exploring Resilience, Sustainability, and Foresight Through Geography and Place

Every city, river, and border tells a story. Geography isn’t just a backdrop — it drives resilience, conflict, and the way our communities evolve.

Fire — Monument Valley storm, where sudden desert rains remind us resilience is forged in moments of intensity.

At alanworldview, I unpack these stories, linking local realities to global patterns to help you understand the systems shaping our world.

I write as a Geographer with geospatial analysis expertise (GISP), Urban Planner (AICP), Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, drawing on over two decades of experience in consulting and local government.

Void — a framework to see clearly, connecting geography, culture, and leadership into a lens for foresight rather than reaction.

Since 2003, I’ve mapped transportation systems, modeled 100-year floodplains using GIS, and delineated wetlands in consulting, then shaped urban systems, economic development, conservation, and public safety in local government. Today, my focus is on urban planning, floodplain management, hazard resilience, and efficient urban design — empowering communities with geography-driven insights to build resilience, equity, and sustainable prosperity.

What You’ll Find Here

Water — Salando spring confluence, where clear and tannin-dark streams merge into one flow, reminding us that systems and cultures adapt when they meet.

My work fall into four themes:

• Hazards — Floods, droughts, and wildfires test communities. I analyze risks and adaptation strategies, like FEMA maps in Why Do We Still Build in the Floodplain.

• Geopolitics — How geography, strategy, and history shape power, from Ukraine’s rivers to Singapore’s ports. Read. See How Singapore Turned Geography Into Power.

• Urban Planning — Zoning, infrastructure, and design drive resilient cities. See From Energy Drain to Energy Gain: Designing Smarter Cities.

• Geography of Place — Climate and culture, from Florida’s springs to the deserts of Nevada, showing how environment shapes identity.
  See How Africa’s Great Green Wall is Fighting Desertification — A Blueprint for Global Resilience or explore Which Part of Florida Has the Best Climate Year-Round?

At the heart of it all is a single thread: resilience and sustainability. Whether I’m writing about FEMA flood maps, the future of Las Vegas, or the looming water conflicts from the American West to the Nile, the question is the same: How can we design systems that endure and serve people better?

Earth — Zion Canyon, a carved landscape of endurance and constraint, showing how paths must be found through solid realities.

Why I Write

I started alanworldview as both a learning tool and a way to share what I’ve learned. Writing helps me connect the dots — between hazards and history, between planning and geopolitics — and make those connections accessible to others.

You’ll find case studies, personal stories, and lessons from my professional work. But you’ll also see the influence of thinkers who shape my perspective:

• Strategy & Philosophy: Sun Tzu, Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings, and Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do remind me to look for simplicity, adaptability, and clarity in complex systems.

• History & Geopolitics: Robert D. Kaplan, George Friedman, Stephen Kotkin, Niall Ferguson, and Halford Mackinder provide the historical and geographic context for understanding how power and place interact.

• Planning & Place: Randall Arendt’s Rural by Design and James Howard Kunstler’s Geography of Nowhere inspire my thinking on communities, urban form, and design.

• Economics & Energy Systems: Thomas Sowell, Gail Tverberg, and Charles Hall push me to think critically about resources, resilience, and prosperity.

• Hazards & Resilience: Scholars like Dr. Graham Tobin and foundational guides such as FEMA’s NFIP 480 (Floodplain Management Requirements) sharpen my focus on how floods, droughts, and wildfires shape communities and test systems.

These voices fuel my curiosity and help me frame each article as more than commentary — they’re part of a larger search for how we can design systems that endure.

Wind — Tepoztlán, Mexico, where culture and cliffs meet, reminding us that strategies shift with the currents of tradition and perspective.

What You’ll Gain

This blog is for anyone who is simply curious about the world we live in. Change starts with awareness, and when people understand the connections between geography, planning, and resilience, they can make better choices for themselves and their communities. From there, policymakers, planners, teachers, and professionals all play a role in turning that understanding into action.
I don’t claim to have all the answers. But I believe geography gives us a lens that makes the world clearer — whether we’re looking at a single block, a river basin, or a global trade route.

Reflection — Alpine lake in the Rockies, still waters mirroring vision and foresight.

Welcome

At its heart, alanworldview is about empowerment. When we understand how geography shapes our lives, we can act with foresight rather than reaction. My hope is that you’ll leave each article not only informed, but inspired to see your community — and the world — with sharper eyes.

Welcome to alanworldview.

Journey — Sunset hike on Mount Roan, walking with humility into vast possibility.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely my own and do not reflect those of any public agency, employer, or affiliated organization. This blog aims to educate and empower readers through objective geographic and planning insights, fostering informed discussion on global and regional issues.