Community-based public-private partnerships are bringing green infrastructure jobs to Prince George’s County and cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay.
Kristina Twigg reports on the Clean Water Partnership in Prince George’s County in Maryland, an effort to reduce stormwater runoff while also bringing jobs to the county and local companies. "With nearly 100 more projects currently in the design and construction phases, the Clean Water Partnership is well over halfway to its ultimate goal of retrofitting 4,000 acres to capture stormwater."
By 2018, the initial $100-million, three-year program had treated 2,000 acres of rooftops and pavement and was $8 million under budget. "From student-planted rain gardens at county schools to upgraded lakes in beloved community greenspaces, these improvements together capture and clean more than 1.6 billion gallons of runoff per year," notes Twigg.
The investment in the local community has also been successful, adds Twigg. "County residents performed more than 50 percent of hours worked on the program, and 80 percent of the program dollars went to local, small, minority-owned businesses."
FULL STORY: Bringing Cleaner Water, Green Jobs to D.C.‘s Suburbs
Unique Public-Private Partnership Tackles Stormwater Infrastructure in Maryland
By combining the resources of the public and private sectors, Prince George County was able to greatly reduce the costs required to retrofit an aging stormwater system.
Maryland's Purple Line Gets the Green Light Again
The public-private partnership behind the Purple Line light rail project in Maryland fell apart in September, and has this past week been revived.
Purple Line Construction Halts in Maryland as Contractor Woes Deepen
Purple Line Transit Partners, the contractors managing construction of the beleaguered Purple Line in Maryland, have begun to walk off the job as a dispute about cost overruns brings the project to a screeching halt.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)