Water
Toilet-To-Tap: Getting Past The 'Yuck Factor'
As the cities in the arid Western United States face huge water shortages, officials and scientists are trying to convince the public that recycled wastewater can be clean and safe.
The Job Of Quenching Las Vegas' Thirst
With some predicting that this fast growing metropolis will run out of water within the decade, the head of the region's water authority has a tough job ahead.
An Alternative to the Water Bottle: Public Fountains
Awareness is increasing of the evils of the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. Elizabeth Royte suggests a solution- the return of the public fountain, a neglected staple of yesteryear.
Los Angeles Announces Plans To Recycle Wastewater For Drinking
Faced with increasing water shortages, Los Angeles Mayor Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced plans to recycle the city's sewage water to replenish drinking water qualifiers.
Behind the Scenes of Los Angeles
In this travelogue, Dwell tours the often-overlooked infrastructure that keeps the metropolis of Los Angeles running.
Building Water Slides in Drought Country
Water shortages have hammered the Atlanta region. But despite the drought, one real estate developer is planning to build a huge water park.
Thirsty Planet
Access to water is becoming increasingly tight in many parts of the world. This article from Wired looks at three thirsty regions and what they are doing to counteract the shortage.
Tapped Out
America is reaching the limits of its water supply, signaling a need to change urban development, energy and agricultural practices, writes Shiney Varghese of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
Nation's Water Infrastructure Is Crumbling
Across the country, burst, leaking and corroding water mains are indications that much of the country's water infrastructure is reaching the end of its life expectancy. Repairs and replacements could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
Imagining a Future Without Lake Mead
This article looks at what could happen if Nevada's reservoir Lake Mead actually does dry up by 2021 as some scientists have predicted.
Oh No, Not Another L.A.
Although Tucson has only about 6 percent of the population of metropolitan Los Angeles, residents of the Arizona city fear California-style sprawl and water problems. So where are Tucson residents looking for answers? That's right, California.
Drought Hurts Global Wheat Supplies
A severe drought in Australia has cut into the country's wheat production -- and pushed prices up all over the world.
States Respond to Growth With Dam Plans
Growth and rising populations have many Western states reconsidering dams.
5 Proven Ways to Preserve Open Space
What is your county doing to preserve open spaces important to your community? And is it effective? If the answers to those questions are "not enough" and "no", read on and take these effective strategies to your lawmakers.
Feds Step in as Southern States Fail to Meet Water Agreement
The long-running tri-state battle over water rights between Florida, Alabama and Georgia have yet to be resolved, so the federal government has announced its intentions to impose its own solution.
Time To Solve Problems Of California's Delta Is Now
The largest estuary in the West, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, has been in trouble for many years. Yet policy-makers have been unable or unwilling to undertake major projects. That may change in 2008.
Cleaning Water With Shellfish
New York City is considering a plan to create beds of oysters in one of the city's waterways to help filter water.
Slicing Water Planning With Okham's Razor
I first learned of Okham’s Razor in an undergraduate economics class. Also called the Law of Parsimony, the idea states that the simplest of two competing ideas or theories is preferable to the more complicated one.
How Much Can You Pay? A New Criterion for Stormwater Management
What if the utility company asked you how much you made when you called to start service in a new home? What if they wanted this information to tie your bill to your salary and not to how much gas, electricity or water you used? Would that seem fair? That’s how some communities are treating developers when determining how much stormwater they should be required to manage. But regulations that link stormwater standards to the developer’s ability to pay are neither fair nor efficient. Environmental regulations and their costs should be directly linked to the impact on the environment, not to profit margins.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
