Flint

Close-up of sign on chain link fence "City of Flint Water Plant" with hours.

EPA Drops More Civil Rights Investigations

A lawsuit that halted an investigation in Louisiana’s ‘Cancer Alley’ is having a chilling impact on other environmental justice cases.

February 2, 2024 - Word In Black

Water Bottles

Clean Water Crisis Exacerbated by Coronavirus

Communities have demanded access to clean water for decades, in some cases. The coronavirus pandemic is compounding the struggle and illustrating the inadequacy of most local government responses.

April 22, 2020 - Vox

Polar Vortex

When Red States Turn Blue

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has followed the path laid by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in joining the U.S. Climate Alliance. All three are new Democratic governors replacing Republican predecessors.

February 7, 2019 - InsideClimate News

26-Year-Old Civil Rights Complaint Finally Ends

The legal controversy over the Genesee Power Plant in Flint, Michigan has finally ended, with a court forcing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to better investigate and resolve complaints of environmental discrimination.

June 19, 2018 - Pacific Standard

Community Stairway

Private Equity Startup Offers Small Scale Public Development Investments

Startup, Cooperative Capital, allows investors to buy into community investment projects and vote on which projects to fund.

April 17, 2018 - Fast Company

Michigan Map

Community Mapping Project Pays Off in More Ways Than One for Flint

The community's hard work has helped Flint planners take an inventory of its building stock, as well as secure needed funding from the federal government.

September 8, 2017 - Center for Community Progress

Flint

Michigan Suing Flint to Force Long-Term Water Contract

The news from Michigan serves as a reminder that the Flint drinking water tragedy, which started in 2014, still has not been resolved. The health of Flint residents is still at risk.

June 29, 2017 - Associated Press via Chicago Tribune

Drinking Water

The Sorry State of U.S. Water Infrastructure

Water bills are going up because pipes put in shortly after World War II are in need of repair and replacement all over the country, and federal funding for water is shrinking.

May 17, 2017 - Vox

oil spill

The End of Federal Environmental Protection in the United States?

The end of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may not come from the hands of President Trump or Scott Pruitt, the nominee to head the agency, but from a bill introduced Feb. 3 titled, "To terminate the Environmental Protection Agency."

February 13, 2017 - Fox Business

Flint

1,700 Flint Residents Sue U.S. EPA for $722 Million in Damages

Flint residents are suing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for damages caused by exposure to lead in the city's drinking supply.

February 1, 2017 - The Detroit News

Water Main

Report: How Do Local Water Utilities Measure Up?

With the federal funding situation uncertain, water utilities are left in widely varying financial positions. Comparing local utilities across six metrics paints a grim picture.

January 19, 2017 - Brookings Institution

Lead Exposure

Lead Poisoning Found in Thousands of U.S. Communities

A Reuters study of public health data found 3,000 examples in the United States where lead poisoning rates exceed those in Flint, Michigan.

December 22, 2016 - Reuters

Flint

$170 Million for Flint Water Pipes a Step Closer to Congressional Funding

An amendment to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) that would provide $170 million to replace contaminated water pipes is headed to the 11th hour of the Congressional session.

September 30, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Water Bottles

Good News, Finally, For Flint, Michigan Residents

There's good but guarded news on drinking water. Lead levels are lower, below the federal action threshold, but residents are advised not to drink it without using filters. A federal state of emergency in effect since January was lifted Sunday.

August 15, 2016 - Michigan Radio

Independent Task Force Blames State Government for Flint Water Poisoning

The Flint Water Advisory Task Force, an independent investigative group whose five members were appointed by Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, held no punches on the causes of the crisis. Two state agencies and the emergency managers were singled out.

March 28, 2016 - Planetizen

Environmental Protection Agency Under Fire From All Sides

Expect EPA to be radically downsized and stripped of much of its authority should a Republican become the next president. Democrats haven't stepped up to their defense as one might expect after the mishandling of the Flint water crisis.

March 21, 2016 - The New York Times

Sparks Fly at Congressional Hearing on Flint Water Crisis

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy sat side-by-side at a Congressional hearing on the lead exposure suffered by citizens of Flint.

March 18, 2016 - The Hill

A Tale of Two Cities: San Jose and Flint

The fixed costs of infrastructure projects leave cities like Flint struggling to pay their bills with fewer people pooling their resources.

March 3, 2016 - The Atlantic

Study: Location Matters for Farmers' Markets

Research conducted in Flint, Michigan, found that changing the location of the local farmers' market had a dramatic effect in how residents shopped.

February 23, 2016 - NPR

America's Coast-to-Coast Toxic Crisis

Flint, Michigan is not an anomaly.

February 19, 2016 - TomDispatch

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

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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.