Will banning lawns and limiting water use be enough as new communities continue to sprout up across the drying west?
Writing in Circle of Blue, Brett Walton describes the growing water conservation movement in the American Southwest, where booming populations and strained water supplies are bringing the urgency of the water crisis to the forefront.
One by one, cities such as Tucson are banning ‘ornamental grass’ and home lawns, while others are cutting off water supplies to unincorporated communities.
According to John Berggren, a water policy analyst with Western Resource Advocates, “There’s a growing recognition that there are actually ways to allow growth to happen, that don’t really increase the amount of overall water you need” through landscaping regulations, zoning codes, and other policy levers. “We don’t have to restrict growth, we just have to shape it and make sure water efficiency is embedded throughout the entire development process.”
While developers are hanging on to this promise of infinite growth with the right technological and regulatory policies, the cost of water continues to rise. Meanwhile, agriculture remains the biggest user of water in the state.
FULL STORY: Say Goodbye to Lawns in Drying U.S. West
Can Southwest Utah’s Water Supply Handle its Explosive Growth?
A remote corner of the state is the nation’s fastest-growing metro area, but concerns about water supplies across the Southwest signal an uncertain future.
NYC Under Drought Warning, Residents Urged to Conserve Water
Amid a series of brush fires, including one in Manhattan, the city issued the first drought warning in 22 years and announced plans to release water through the Delaware Aqueduct to supplement local reservoirs.
New Yorkers Face New Climate Risks
A two-acre fire in a city park prompted city officials to ban grilling while urging residents to conserve water to limit the impact of a historic drought.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research