Congress authorized the $31 billion ‘Ike Dike’ sea-level rise adaptation project, along with a laundry list of other water infrastructure projects.

Committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have approved the biennial Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), which would authorize a long list of water infrastructure projects, including the $31 billon Ike Dike megaproject to protect the Texas coast around Galveston from rising waters.
According to an article by Jeff Davis for the Eno Center for Transportation, the WRDA authorizes projects for development by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The projects still need to be funded by the Appropriations Committees. The list of projects to be authorized by the WRDA include navigation, flood risk management, hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, and other projects, according to the article.
“That $31 billion Texas project – $19.2 billion federal share, and $11.7 billion non-federal share – is, by far, the largest project authorization anyone can remember seeing in a WRDA bill, ever, by a long shot. If the bill is enacted, that project would, single-handedly, erase the $17 billion of progress made by the [Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act] towards paying down the old Corps unfunded backlog and push that backlog to new heights,” according to Davis.
The project—previously called the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Feasibility Study but referred to locally as the “Ike Dike”—is by far the biggest ticket on the list. “The name of the project as presented in the bill does not give a precise location, but the Chief of Engineers’ report on the Corps website makes it clear that the project is centered around a massive floodwall protecting Galveston Bay (and thus Houston) from storm surges coming in from the Gulf of Mexico,” according to Davis.
Additional coverage of the Ike Dike is available from an article by Francis Wilkinson for Bloomberg published on May 1.
Planetizen shared news of the Ike Dike when the project was made public in 2018 and again when revised plans were released in 2020.
FULL STORY: House, Senate Advance WRDA Bills Authorizing $31B Texas Megaproject

Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.

How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.

San Diegans at Odds Over ‘Granny Towers’
A provision in the city’s ADU ordinance allows developers to build an essentially unlimited number of units on single-family lots.

Atlanta’s Five Points Station Overhaul Enters Public Review Phase
The project is part of MARTA’s effort to support more transit-oriented development in downtown Atlanta.

NYC Tests New Subway Gates to Limit Fare Evasion
The mayor has taken a strong interest in enforcing fare collection at the city’s transit stations.

Newton Passes Upzoning to Comply With MBTA Communities Act
The Massachusetts city will permit multifamily housing in some of its ‘village centers’ to comply with state law.
City of Meridian
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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.