An exit interview with Tom Graff, who joined Environmental Defense Fund in 1971, when the environmental movement was just getting started.
The article features an interview with Tom Graff, outgoing regional director of Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), talking about the evolution of the environmental movement and the past and future of California water policy:
"I would say that my principal niche was to recognize that economics could, and probably should, play a big role in environmental policy-making. Paying attention to how economic incentives influence business and personal behavior is one key to bringing about environmental improvements."
"There has been considerable progress on California water. For one example, look at the governor's recent emergency drought declaration. Water transfers, pioneered by EDF over a quarter century ago, are now assumed to be a key policy tool to help get us through this year's drought."
"I have a bit of a confession on my part, and I think on EDF's as well. Despite my role in defeating the 1982 referendum, we are open to conversations about a Peripheral Canal. What is most critical this time around is that the environment and, especially, the fish get the preference that they have long been promised but have never actually received."
Read the full story: EDF’s Tom Graff Gave 37 Years of Service; Helped Redefine Environmentalism in the U.S.
Climate change could double household water costs in some cities, study finds
New research suggests that climate change-related stressors are straining municipal water systems.
Arizona prepares to tap into emergency water supply as it braces for Colorado River cuts
The Salt River Project has been collecting nearly 4 million acre-feet of water since the mid-1990s.
Federal proposal calls for mandatory water cuts to Arizona, California and Nevada
The Bureau of Reclamation stepped in after states failed to come to an agreement over Colorado River water use reductions.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Atlanta City Council unanimously backs $3.5 billion Beltline light rail project
The resolution was drafted after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pulled support for the Atlanta Streetcar extension last year.
SEPTA to bring nearby frequent transit to over 1 million new riders as part of decade-long plan
The agency's Accelerate plan will also bring frequent transit to twice the amount of jobs that are currently located near it.
NYC plants over 18,000 trees, the most new foliage in a decade
Many of the trees were planted in communities vulnerable to extreme heat.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello