A trickle of Websites promotes trading water rights. Will it turn into a flood or a wash?
An estimated $2 billion to $3 billion in water deals are made annually in the West, an arid region where water takes on almost religious significance. In California, for example, two-thirds of the population live in the southern half of the state, whereas two-thirds of the states precipitation falls in the north. The water business, emotionally charged and marked by decades of political strife, has begun streaming into cyberspace, with Websites such as Albuquerque, N.M.based WaterBank and Houston, Texasbased Water2Water springing up to facilitate buying, selling, storing, and transporting water in the West. Companies include Water2Water, The Water Rights Market, WaterInvestments.com, WaterBank and iAqua.com.
Thanks to Chris Steins
FULL STORY: Water, Water, Everywhere

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie