Billions of dollars of water development are at stake as Colorado and Nebraska battle for control of more South Platter River water.
Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts last week announced a plan to spend $500 million on a canal and reservoir project to "ensure Nebraska's continued access to South Platte River water flowing into the state from Colorado," reports Don Walton for the Hastings Tribune.
A message from Gov. Ricketts, sent on January 11, explains more of the reasoning behind the project, premised primarily over concerns about the state of Colorado's plans for "300 projects and over $10 billion of expenditures to ensure no 'excess' water leaves its state."
Saying that Colorado's plans threaten to "choke off the flow of water into Nebraska," the governor cites the South Platte River Compact as justification for his plans to build a new canal to the South Platte.
But as reported by the Associated Press, the governor of Colorado, Jared Polis, sees Nebraska's plans as a threat to Colorado's water, and has promised to "protect and aggressively assert Colorado’s rights under all existing water compacts."
FULL STORY: Ricketts will seek $500 million Platte River canal system appropriation now
A Development Showdown Over Water in Rural Arizona
The battle for the future of Colorado River water, and whether it will be used for agriculture or new development, continues in Arizona.
Legislation Would Prevent Rural-to-Urban Water Transfers in Arizona
A plan to sell water intended for agricultural uses to help fuel the development of a city on the edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area has inspired new state legislation.
Op-Ed: Implications for Phoenix as Lake Mead Runs Dry
Metro Phoenix has a lot to think about as Lake Mead water shortages become ever more likely. A three-state drought contingency plan may only be a temporary fix for a problem that'll divide cities and stakeholders.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.
Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.
Urban Design, Transport, and Health
The Lancet medical journal published a series of articles that explore how to evaluate and guide urban planning decisions to create healthy and sustainable cities. Live long and prosper!
Detroit Bike Share Celebrates Five Years
In its five years of operation, Detroit’s MoGo bikeshare has added electric and adaptive bikes to its fleet of more than 600 bikes.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
