Arizona

Through the Eyes of a Journalist: Megan Kimble Reflects on Covering Food Systems, Zoning Changes, and Highway Projects in the Southwest
Kimble’s interest in topics related to urban planning spawned from research and writing about food systems in the borderlands of Arizona. She then moved to Austin in the midst of the city’s update of its Land Development Code.

New Power Transmission Line Approved in the Southwest
The proposed transmission line will transfer wind-produced power from New Mexico to cities in Arizona and California.

States Reach Consensus on Colorado River Deal
The seven states along the Colorado River basin are in agreement over proposed water cuts over the next three years to preserve dangerously low reservoirs.

Lower Basin States Closer to Agreement on Colorado River
After a year of contentious negotiations, Western states dependent on the river’s water supply are nearing a deal that would reduce water use significantly over the next three years.

Arizona Zoning Reform Bills Would Protect Mobile Home Residents
Three proposed bills would increase flexibility in zoning and encourage affordable housing production, particularly near light rail.

Waymo Expansion Makes Phoenix ‘World’s Largest Self-Driving Car Zone’
The company’s autonomous taxis will soon be available in most parts of the metro area including Tempe, Mesa, and a new airport pick-up location.

How Self-Driving Cars Are Integrating—or Not—Into the Urban Fabric
As they become more common on some U.S. streets, autonomous vehicles are impeding emergency response operations and blocking traffic, idling in neighborhoods, and defying law enforcement.

Phoenix Planning First Bus Rapid Transit Route
The city of Phoenix is gathering public feedback on a proposed bus rapid transit route, the city’s first, on 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street.

Phoenix Ordered to Sweep City’s Biggest Unhoused Community
A county judge ruled the city must evict people living in an encampment after local businesses and residents sued.

Arizona Housing Bill Fails in State Senate
The bill would have eliminated some parking requirements, legalized more types of affordable housing, and promoted increased housing production.

The Water Crisis Comes Home to Roost in Arizona
Due in part to the state’s history of ‘wildcat’ real estate developments, some communities are losing access to water sources as cities and water agencies look for ways to conserve shrinking water supplies.

Arizona Governor Takes Steps to Modernize Water Policy
A newly released report warns of rapidly dwindling groundwater resources as developers plan to build hundreds of thousands of new homes.

Scottsdale Cuts Water Supply to Nearby Suburb
The city claims it has no responsibility to provide water to the unincorporated Maricopa County community.

Arizona Tapping Groundwater to Fuel Suburban Growth
Critics say Arizona’s growth patterns are unsustainable and dangerous, given the depleted Colorado River and the state’s deepening reliance on groundwater.

Arizona’s Growth Threatens Water Supplies
New communities are popping up across Arizona’s desert, evading water consumption restrictions and straining the state’s groundwater supplies.

Arizona Issues Plan for Statewide Electric Charging Network
The state secured over $70 million in federal funding to design and build out an electric vehicle charging network in a state with often vast distances between destinations.

Flagstaff Housing Needs Outstrip Supply
Data from Flagstaff shows a growing need for affordable rental housing and homeownership options, which the city’s ten-year housing plan is working to address.

Tucson Could Ban Ornamental Grass
The city could ban the planting of “nonfunctional” grass in new developments, but would stop short of regulating lawns and golf courses.

Evictions on the Rise in Phoenix
Landlords in the Arizona metropolis filed the most evictions since 2008 last month.

Sacramento Voters to Decide on Using Lawsuits to Reclaim Sidewalks
Measure O may be one of the first ballot measures of its kind to empower residents to take legal action against a city for illegal encampments on city property. The Sacramento City Council voted 7-2 on August 9 to place the ordinance before voters.
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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