The Arizona Department of Water Resources has put a moratorium on new water supply permits, making the future of planned residential developments uncertain.
Close to half a million proposed new homes in Arizona are on hold as the state struggles to meet the demand for groundwater. Tony Davis explains the crisis in High Country News, pointing to North Star Ranch, a 9,600-home development that may never materialize outside of Phoenix.
The finding that so many proposals are on pause signals a major shift for Arizona, where “Developments like North Star have long represented the future of housing for local developers and prospective homebuyers.” But according to a 2023 study by the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR), the region has “reached the anticipated limits of growth on groundwater supplies,” prompting the agency to stop issuing new water supply certificates.
In some cases, residents have moved into new homes with the promise of neighborhoods growing up around them. Now, due to the moratorium, the planned developments are on hold. For some residents, this is a blessing in disguise, keeping their homes farther from urban noise and pollution. For others, it’s a broken promise that leaves them “marooned on a service-less island,” miles from the nearest stores, schools, or gas stations.
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Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
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Journal of the American Planning Association