Stormwater
De-Paving and Improving Urban Permeability
A new test program to de-pave the city of Baltimore is turning the soil formerly covered by city school playgrounds. The project is aimed at reducing runoff.
Is Water Control Out of Control in SoCal?
Mark Gold, president of Heal the Bay, says that the Los Angeles Regional Water Control Board is the least environmentally friendly board in decades.
Seattle Upgrading its Stormwater System to Prevent Sewage Overflows
The city of Seattle is taking on a $500 million project to update its storm drains to reduce the amount of untreated sewage that overflows into waterways during storm events.
Chicago's Greener Alleys Program shares insights on sustainable transportation
Chicago is using pervious pavements and reflective materials on its 1,900 miles of alleys to reduce flooding, cut demand on storm sewers, and decrease the city's urban heat island effect. The program is so successful that they are expanding it.
Seeking Solutions to Stormwater and Sewage Issues
In many cities, stormwater and sewage water are collected in the same sewer. As a result, good rainwater is combined with dirty sewage water. Overflows can create major problems for cities. But avoiding those problems is not exactly easy.
Portland A Hotspot for 'Stormwater Tourism'
Portland's "Green Streets" program is becoming a new tourist attraction in the city, which officials from other cities are visiting to learn from the Pacific Northwest's model water treatment infrastructure.
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.
Sustainable Streets in St. Louis
The city of St. Louis has been testing out a new sustainable streetscape design that calms traffic and helps absorb stormwater. The test run has been so well-received, the city is thinking about rolling out the design permanently.
The Model Stormwater City
Portland is well-known for many things in the urban planning community. Now, it's being recognized as a leader in stormwater management.
Street Greening Upsets Some Portland Businesses
A new street greening project in North Portland that seeks to reduce stormwater runoff is fueling a debate between the area's young, eco-conscious businesses owners and older owners who are worried about interruption from the project.
Soaking Up Runoff For a Greener Street
The city of Santa Monica has just unveiled its first segment of green street, one where rainwater runoff seeps into porous pavement and landscaping.
Legalize Gray Water!
Colorado law prohibits the collection of rainwater, but urban farmers, environmentally-conscious homeowners, and even developers are catching on to its benefits and building momentum for the legalization of rainwater harvesting.
Puget Sound Suburbs Could Follow Cities' Tougher Runoff Rules
After a recent state ruling requiring Seattle and other Puget Sound cities to control polluted stormwater runoff, smaller cities and suburbs could be brought on board as well.
EPA Failing to Control Urban Runoff
The Environmental Protection Agency has not done enough to control pollution from stormwater runoff in urban areas, according to a report from the National Academy of Sciences.
'Growing Water' Project Gets a Hand
The architecture studio that won The History Channel's City of the Future competition last year has gotten some help making its ideas possible.
The Unintended Consequences Of Stormwater Regulation
California water quality regulators continue to levy ever-tougher standards for stormwater runoff. But the standards could impact development and cities in a way that is not best for the environment at large.
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.
What's In A Name?
How important are the names we use? As Shakespeare said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." I’ve been struck by this thought recently as I’ve been considering the myriad of organizations and stakeholders trying to have their particular term for stormwater management techniques be more widely adopted in the nomenclature.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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