The water crisis faced by many drought-hit cities is made worse by sprawl. (Complete report).
"This new study by American Rivers, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and Smart GrowthAmerica investigated what happens to water supplies when we replace our natural areas with roads,parking lots and buildings. First, we determined which metropolitan areas have experienced the mostdevelopment over the last 20 years. We found that 11 of the 20 metro areas with the greatest landconversion rates from 1982 to 1997 are in the Southeast; the other nine are divided evenly among theremaining regions three each in the Northeast, Midwest and West. And population growth alonedoes not explain the magnitude of the development. Indeed, in every case but one, developed landgrowth topped population growth, in many cases by a factor of two to three."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Paving Our Way To Water Shortages [PDF, 526kb, 34 pages]

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.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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