This report from NPR looks at the city of Las Vegas, the high value of water in the desert, and the water chief who is trying to control the growing city's consumption.
"Mulroy says she found a city in desert denial."
"'The valley was predominantly quarter-acre lots or larger, completely surrounded by grass,' she says. 'And we had consumption around 340 to 350 per capita.' That's 350 gallons per person, per day - almost twice the water consumption in New York City. And New York receives 10 times the moisture of Las Vegas."
"In the early 1990s, new attractions appeared on the Vegas Strip. The Mirage Resort had a volcano spewing water and fire. New residential developments sprouted up around the city, with acres of manicured and irrigated lawns. One was called "The Lakes," and featured homes around three miles of artificial shoreline. Dozens of golf courses soaked up millions of gallons of water each day."
"Into that scene of conspicuous consumption came the new water chief, Pat Mulroy. She immediately issued a moratorium on new water hook-ups."
FULL STORY: Stakes High for Las Vegas Water Czar
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.
Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.
Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)