An old-fashioned story of wealthy developers coming for the water supply of low-income farming communities is being reprised in Colorado.
Developers of sprawling suburban communities along the Front Range in Colorado are hoping to tap water supplies in the San Luis Valley, 180 miles away, to support growth, according to an article by Bruce Finley.
Political leaders of the low-income San Luis Valley are resisting the idea, but some farmers in the area have expressed interest in selling water rights.
Renewable Water Resources, "which counts former Gov. Bill Owens as a principal," according to Finley, wants to develop a pipeline that would pump 22,000 acre-feet of water per year from 14 wells drilled 2,000 feet deep at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Renewable Water Resources says taking the water from the San Luis Valley is easy compared to other options. Supporters of the idea say the pipeline and water rights could supply an infusion of cash to the low-income corner of the state.
Local leaders are putting up a fight, as detailed by Finley in the source article.
Arizona Town Looks for New Water Sources, Insists Development ‘Full Steam Ahead’
While many Southwest cities are looking for ways to conserve water and limit growth as water supplies become strained, one town is pressing ahead with rapid development.
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 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.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.
Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
A Google-backed proposal to turn an underused section of Toronto waterfront into a tech hub holds relevant lessons about privacy and data.
When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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 Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions