An article details the nascent successes of an innovative program by Washington, D.C. to fund green infrastructure improvements to its stormwater and wastewater systems.
Julian Spector details the ongoing work in Washington, D.C. to overhaul the city's stormwater and wastewater systems with green infrastructure, such as "rain gardens, green roofs, permeable surfaces, and leafy drainage ditches known as bioswales that filter and store extra rainwater…"
Critical to the effort, and the focus of Spector's coverage, is the funding mechanism created by the District Department of Energy and Environment, namely a retention credit systemthat establishes a market for stormwater retention. The article details the challenges in establishing a market for stormwater retention and some of the solutions both government agencies and the private sector have found for those challenges since 2014, when trading started. Especially important in scaling up the program has been a $1.7 million investment by Prudential that will allow District Stormwater to "install green infrastructure in places deemed most ecologically beneficial, and then sell the credits." Spector adds, "If it succeeds in turning a profit, Prudential will recoup its investment, plus interest, and the approach could be considered for other cities…"
FULL STORY: Turning Stormwater Runoff Into Everyone's Business

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

San Francisco Opens Park on Former Great Highway
The Sunset Dunes park’s grand opening attracted both fans and detractors.

Oregon Legislature to Consider Transit Funding Laws
One proposal would increase the state’s payroll tax by .08% to fund transit agencies and expand service.

Housing Vouchers as a Key Piece of Houston’s Housing Strategy
The Houston Housing Authority supports 19,000 households through the housing voucher program.
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