Reason Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey examines Fredrik Segerfeldt's new book, Water for Sale: How Business and the Market Can Resolve the World's Water Crisis.
More than a billion people lack access to safe drinking water today. Reason Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey examines Fredrik Segerfeldt's new book, Water for Sale: How Business and the Market Can Resolve the World's Water Crisis, and writes, "...some countries have turned to the private sector and multinational companies for help in providing their thirsty poor citizens with water.
Privatization can mean selling entire water supply and treatment systems to private owners; long-term leases of water supply systems; or contracts to manage public water systems. In practical terms, the usual arrangement is a long-term lease. So far, only 3 percent of the poor in developing countries get their water from private-sector water systems.
However, these initial projects have provoked an outcry by anti-privatization activists around the world against a 'global water grab' by giant corporations. Segerfeldt shows that even imperfect privatization efforts have already successfully connected millions of poor people to relatively inexpensive water where government-funded efforts have failed. For example, before privatization in 1989, only 20 percent of urban dwellers the African nation of Guinea had access to safe drinking water; by 2001 70 percent did...Privatization is not a panacea, but Segerfeldt shows that, when properly done, it can play a huge role in bringing safe clean drinking water to the hundreds of millions of people who still lack it."
Thanks to Reason Alert
FULL STORY: Water Is a Human Right

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

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

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

USDOT Could Pull Federal Funding for New York
The federal government gave the state until May 21 to end new York City’s congestion pricing program or risk losing federal funding and project approvals.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions