New desalination technology is bringing down the cost of converting salty water to freshwater.
"Desalination isn't cheap, and some plants are opposed by environmental groups, yet they are hailed by many as an ingenious way to solve the growing problem of dwindling freshwater supplies. Such plants are used to purify brackish groundwater in New Mexico and Arizona and increasingly to purify raw seawater in California and Florida....In 1999, the Congressional Research Service estimated that treating brackish water is about twice as costly as regular water treatment, and treating seawater is at least three times more expensive than brackish-water treatment...'People say, well, it's too expensive, but really what's the alternative?'...The alternative, say environmentalists, is to stop the relentless march of development along the Jersey Shore."
Thanks to J. Resta
FULL STORY: So long, salty water

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.

Santa Clara County Dedicates Over $28M to Affordable Housing
The county is funding over 600 new affordable housing units via revenue from a 2016 bond measure.

Why a Failed ‘Smart City’ Is Still Relevant
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When Sears Pioneered Modular Housing
Kit homes sold in catalogs like Sears and Montgomery Ward made homeownership affordable for midcentury Americans.
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