A three-block median featuring native plants and bioswales is part of the city’s broader effort to reduce water consumption and pollution.

A three-block median in Beverly Hills is thriving as the city’s first ‘green street,’ just in time for this month’s unusually wet weather. As Tabor Brewster reports in Beverly Press, “The Burton Way green street and water efficient landscape project is in the final stages of testing and is set to officially open at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rexford Mini Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at 11 a.m.”
The project is expected to reduce water pollution and water consumption by collecting rainwater and runoff. “According to environmental compliance and sustainability program manager Josette Descalzo, the project features a storm drain that will divert water – from both rain and excess irrigation – into the median on Burton Way. From there, the water will be filtered by two 15-foot-wide vegetated channels also known as bioswales.”
According to Mayor Julian Gold, the city plans to install more similar projects to meet its sustainability goals. “[California] emergency water regulations also require Beverly Hills to reduce its water consumption by 32%, and this project will save about 5 million gallons of water annually, according to the city.”
FULL STORY: City’s first ‘green street’ blossoms on Burton Way

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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