Water

Desertification Threatens 38% of World's Surface

With water in increasing demand and unsustainable land use patterns threatening supplies, a new report claims that nearly 40% of the earth's surface is arid and in danger of desertification.

February 11, 2010 - Science Daily

Best Practices for Water Management

This piece from Urban Re:Vision Magazine looks at a variety of water reuse and stormwater capture projects in cities across the U.S.

February 11, 2010 - Urban Re:Vision

Water Rights Ruling Puts Thousands of Permits in Question

A recent water rights ruling in Nevada could potentially endanger the validity of nearly 15,000 water rights in the state dating back to 1947. As a result, new applications for water rights are flooding state offices.

February 5, 2010 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Las Vegas Water Plan Hits Wall

Plans by Las Vegas officials to siphon water from northern Nevada down to the growing city may have hit a wall, as a recent ruling from the state Supreme Court found fault with the region's water rights application process.

January 30, 2010 - Los Angeles Times

Fertilizers Banned in Polluted Florida County

Certain fertilizers will be banned from use during summer months and rainy times of the year in Pinellas County, Florida after a recent ruling by the County Commission.

January 21, 2010 - St. Petersburg Times

Diversify Your Water Buys

By combining three water purchasing approaches -- permanent rights, options and leases -- cities can better manage water supplies to avoid high costs and supply reductions, according to a new study.

January 20, 2010 - Penn State Live

New Non-Salt Strategies for Snowy Cities

Winter brings snowy conditions to roads in many cities, and many react with snow-melting salt solutions. But the physical and environmental damage of salt is leading some to look for other means of fighting the freeze.

January 14, 2010 - NRDC

States' Water Negotiations Can Be Secret

Negotiations between the states of Georgia, Alabama and Florida can remain secret, according to a recent federal ruling.

January 12, 2010 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Learning From India's Ancient Water Engineers

This discussion from TED looks at the ancient water engineering techniques used in the Golden Desert of India, and argues that these centuries-old methods offer lessons for water planners today.

January 3, 2010 - TED

Fighting Drought in California

Three years into a statewide drought, California officials have taken drastic steps to reduce water use in cities and farms. 60 Minutes looks at the drought and efforts to combat the water shortage.

December 29, 2009 - CBS

Water Standards Out of Touch With Reality

American drinking water meets federal safety standards, but some say it's only because those standards are far too low and don't accurately reflect the potential for contamination.

December 18, 2009 - The New York Times

Watching Water Loss Via Satellite

NASA satellites have tracked the loss of water in California's Central Valley over the past few years, and finds that drought coupled with over-irrigation are stressing the state's supplies.

December 16, 2009 - BBC

Rivers Reworked in South Korea

South Korean officials have begun work on a $19.2 billion effort to remake the country's four largest rivers. The project would slightly reshape the rivers and add towns and bike trails to their waterfronts.

December 14, 2009 - The New York Times

'Getting Religion' in Water Conservation

Since dealing with drought in the 80s and 90s, San Luis Obispo offers some inspiration for water conservation in California as the state struggles to get individuals to cut down on their use.

November 25, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Aging Sewers and Growing Cities Mean Troubled Waters

As cities grow, aging sewer systems are having trouble keeping up with increasing amounts of waste. Often, the result is sewer system overflows that end up directly in waterways.

November 24, 2009 - The New York Times

Much-Needed Water in Nevada is Radioactive

Over forty years, the federal government exploded almost a thousand nuclear warheads under the Nevada desert. Radiation leeched into the aquifers, in a region with a growing population and a water crisis.

November 14, 2009 - The Los Angeles Times

New York Tries to Dodge Superfund Status for Canal

New York City's Gowanus Canal has been heavily polluted for years. Mayor Bloomberg said the cleanup would happen, but it never did. Now the EPA is calling the troubled waterway a Superfund site and the city is kickstarting action.

November 12, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

Land and Water Unite in Waterfront Redevelopments

Cities across the globe are rediscovering their waterfronts. As this piece from Places discusses, revitalization of these former industrial areas includes more than just green space.

November 8, 2009 - Places

A Greener Shade of Golf?

Golf courses use dangerous pesticides and hundreds of thousands of gallons of water to maintain their manicured look. Many people would like to change that. But some golf courses says you can have your cake and tee off, too.

November 4, 2009 - Good

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.