Water
The Great Debate: Which Infrastructure System Most Needs Repair?
The New York Times created a "Room for Debate" feature offering four points of view on the subject of infrastructure repair.
The Evolving Market for Water in an Era of Droughts and Efficiencies
As some areas of the country seek out new sources of water, other areas are trying to protect what they have.
Sierra Nevada Snowpack at 500-Year Low
Unusually scarce precipitation last winter has left little snow on the mountains, endangering a key California water reserve.
How the Internet of Things Can Help Solve Water Woes
New tools and technologies of the so-called Internet of Things are helping cities get a better handle on water scarcity and overabundance.
Should City Planners Worry About Water Supply?
It’s a big question being tackled by land use planners and water providers in Colorado, where the traditional disconnect between water realities and land use decisions precludes a sustainable balance between water supply and urban growth.
Report Finds Weak Spots in the Los Angeles Water Grid
A "water atlas" compiled by UCLA's Luskin Center for Innovation reveals the patchwork that is Los Angeles' water supply system. Neighborhoods reliant on small providers and groundwater sources may be vulnerable.
What Droughts Say About Planners and Water Officials
When water policy and land use planning operate in separate spheres, it's more difficult to design for efficient resource use. Better communication is needed in the drought-stricken southwest.
Libertarian-Friendly Drought Control
Arid states can both reduce water use and avoid intrusive government by eliminating zoning regulations that mandate or encourage water-wasting lawns.
Urban Farming Gains a Foothold in Houston
Operated by a pair of brothers, Finca Tres Robles is one of several Houston farms coaxing fresh produce from unused urban land. Increasingly, urban farmers compete with developers for space.
Las Vegas Water Grab a 'Poster Child' for Urban vs. Rural Resource Conflict
In what has been described as a "poster child" for future water showdowns in the west, local interests in Las Vegas are attempting a water grab from ranch land 275 miles north of the city.
Six Employees Indicted in West Virginia Water Contamination Debacle
Six chemical company employees have been charged, under the Clean Water Act, for an incident earlier this year that left 300,000 West Virginia residents without safe drinking water for more than a week.
The End of the Era of Cheap Water
In many places around the country, the price of water is increasing, quickly. While the reasons for the increase vary depending on the location, common to the issue is the ability of planning to either help or hinder the problem.
Colorado Planning for a Water Supply Shortfall of 163 Billion Gallons by 2050
Colorado officials predict a 163-billion-gallon shortfall in its water supply by 2050, and the Continental Divide stands in the way of easy solutions to the challenge.
U.S. Water Use Hits 45-Year Low
Recent data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that the country is using less water even as its population grows.
America's Crumbling Water Infrastructure
The country's aging water infrastructure is growing more wasteful and expensive to fix with every year. What will it take to re-engineer our drinking water supplies?
How to Solve the Looming Water Crisis
David Sedlak, author of "Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World's Most Vital Resource," explains how the deepening obsolescence of our water infrastructure is reaching crisis status.
California Pauses $24 Billion Plan for Bay Delta Tunnels
The controversial Bay Delta Conservation Plan, in the works for seven years, has been placed on hold again. According to officials with the state Department of Resources, the delay comes in response to comments on the project's draft EIR.
Some Like it Hot: Adapting Los Angeles to Climate Change
Closing out the "Just Add Water" lecture series, four panelists came together to discuss climate change, cultural shifts for sustainability, and adapting Los Angeles's urban fabric for greater climate resiliency in the future.
Oil Industry Dumping in Healthy Aquifers Amid California's Drought
Inadequate state enforcement of protected underground aquifers led to a group of emergency cease and desist orders. The failure of regulators is "especially disturbing" in a state stricken by a historic, economy- and life-threatening drought.
California Water Districts Might Skirt Prop 13 to Fund $25 Billion Canal Plan
Californians who take low property taxes and high quality drinking water for granted might have reason to rethink both those realities if the state's water districts figure out a way to raise property taxes—the same might be true if they don't.
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
