Water Infrastructure

Lake Powell

Arizona Revisits Plans for Withdrawing Water Reserves

Arizona has excelled at storing water in preparation for future droughts. The challenge now is how cities will access that water when they need it.

August 28, 2018 - Arizona Daily Star

Dry Lake in Arizona

Arizona Struggles to Balance Demand for Water

Two case studies exemplify the extreme economic and legal pressures surrounding water supply in the state of Arizona.

August 22, 2018 - Water Deeply

drinking water fountain

Kentucky Needs $15 Billion in Additional Water Infrastructure

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet has sounded an alarm about the state of the state's water infrastructure.

August 10, 2018 - WFPL

Flint

Welcome to 'Peak Water'

Water managers all over the country are bracing for expected water shortages.

July 22, 2018 - The Hill

Aqueduct

Voters to Decide on Repair of Vital Aqueduct for San Joaquin Valley

California voters in November will have the opportunity to help repair the Friant-Kern Canal, damaged by subsidence, as well as invest in watershed conservation programs, by passing a citizen-initiated $8.9 billion general obligation bond measure.

July 19, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Utah

The Nation’s Fastest Growing Town Needs More Water

Cheap water flows freely to the golf courses of St. George, Utah, but all the new residents mean it’s going to have to increase supply or reduce demand—or both.

May 31, 2018 - CityLab

Meadow Wetlands

What Billions in Bonds Could Do for California Water

From clean drinking supply to sinking infrastructure, California has a lot to worry about when it comes to water. Two upcoming bonds could make a dent in the work ahead.

May 25, 2018 - The Planning Report

recycled greywater

The Real Cost of Clean Water in One Kansas Town

Pretty Prairie has water with very high levels of nitrates, and lots of farmers that need to use nitrates if they want to keep the local economy going.

May 14, 2018 - Harper's

Colorado Water

Growth Requires New Water Supply Solutions in Colorado

Colorado cities located north of Denver consider the future of water as the region grows. New infrastructure and new partnerships will be necessary to meet demand for water in the future.

May 9, 2018 - The Denver Post

Oroville Dam Crisis

Rebuilt Oroville Spillway Could Get its First Test This Weekend

The quickly repaired Oroville Dam spillway is hoping for better performance this year, after a year of intense repair work.

April 6, 2018 - California Department of Water Resources

Shasta Lake

Why Are the Feds Suddenly in Favor of Raising the Shasta Dam?

Despite state opposition and potential violations of California law, the Trump Administration has revived a project that was deemed impracticable only a few years ago.

March 18, 2018 - Los Angeles Times

Wasatch Mountains

This Is What Really, Really Cheap Water Is Actually Costing Utah

The state's widespread practice of supplying unlimited untreated water to homes may be part of the reason it has to spend billions on a new pipeline and dam.

March 13, 2018 - Water Deeply

Fargo, North Dakota

Minnesota Offers Models for Stormwater Management

Reflecting its reputation as the land of 10,000 lakes, Minnesota's highly developed water management infrastructure can be instructive for states facing frequent floods.

November 29, 2017 - Brookings

California Aqueduct

$13 Billion in Water Bonds Headed for the California Ballot in 2018

The legislature placed a $4.1 billion water bond on the ballot in June while a privately funded initiative hopes to qualify an $8.9 billion water bond for the November ballot. The state measure would also fund parks and trails.

November 27, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Water Main

11 Dangerous Ideas in Water Management

California's historic drought might have been greatly relieved by last year's abundantly rainy season, but there are more drought years to come, along with more questions about how the state will manage its water resources.

September 19, 2017 - California WaterBlog

Stormwater

One Way Washington Could Move Forward on Infrastructure

The WIFIA federal loans program provides start-up capital to local water infrastructure projects. The program is designed to encourage experimentation and cost-effective construction strategies.

August 17, 2017 - Brookings

Flint

Michigan Suing Flint to Force Long-Term Water Contract

The news from Michigan serves as a reminder that the Flint drinking water tragedy, which started in 2014, still has not been resolved. The health of Flint residents is still at risk.

June 29, 2017 - Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

Bay Delta

Feds Change Course, Approve $15.5 Billion California Water Project

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service gave a crucial green light for the intensely controversial and ambitious California WaterFix project, which would pump water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

June 27, 2017 - The Sacramento Bee

Drinking Water

The Sorry State of U.S. Water Infrastructure

Water bills are going up because pipes put in shortly after World War II are in need of repair and replacement all over the country, and federal funding for water is shrinking.

May 17, 2017 - Vox

Stormwater Infrastructure

Using Public Art to Make Sense of Wastewater Infrastructure

The city of San Jose and designers from the University of California, Davis have completed a community-led design process to raise awareness about the connections between the kitchen, sewers, and the environment.

May 12, 2017 - The Confluence

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.