Water
NOAA: Southwest ‘Megadrought’ to Persist
Roughly 40 percent of the 48 lower U.S. states are currently in some state of ‘abnormally dry conditions.’
California Lawmakers Move to Protect Waterways
Anticipating that the Trump EPA will reinstate a 2017 policy that excluded seasonal wetlands and waterways from environmental protections.
Public Parks as Climate Resilience Tools
Designed with green infrastructure, parks can mitigate flooding, reduce urban heat, and enhance climate resilience, offering cost-effective solutions to environmental challenges while benefiting communities.
El Paso Wastewater Purification Facility Breaks Ground
As water supplies become strained and technology advances, cities look to wastewater as a viable source of drinking water.
Texas Infrastructure Gets a ‘C’
The American Society of Civil Engineers rates states in 16 categories related to transportation, water, waste management, parks, and more.
NYC Under Drought Warning, Residents Urged to Conserve Water
Amid a series of brush fires, including one in Manhattan, the city issued the first drought warning in 22 years and announced plans to release water through the Delaware Aqueduct to supplement local reservoirs.
US and Mexico Sign Agreement to Deliver Remaining Water Obligations
The plan could bring much-needed water to farmers in South Texas.
New Yorkers Face New Climate Risks
A two-acre fire in a city park prompted city officials to ban grilling while urging residents to conserve water to limit the impact of a historic drought.
Report: European Rivers Are in Trouble
Some of the continent’s most important rivers are suffering from overuse and pollution.
Arizona Native Community Launches First Solar-Over-Canal Project
Covering an irrigation canal with solar panels doubles its utility, producing renewable energy while protecting canal infrastructure and reducing water evaporation.
First Model Homes Revealed in Disney-Built Community
Disney’s Cotino, in the Southern California desert, is the first of the company’s ‘Storybook Living’ developments.
Great Lakes Water Quality Project Seeks to Restore Coastal Vegetation
A plan to restore perennial plants to agricultural land could help reduce runoff and improve water quality across the Great Lakes region.
Annual LA River CleanUp Invites Residents to Protect Local Ecosystems
The Friends of the Los Angeles River will host its 34th Annual LA River CleanUp on October 5, inviting residents to help beautify the river, prevent litter from reaching the ocean, and promote equitable access to green spaces.
Study: Lakes Near Communities of Color Less Inspected for Water Quality
The research is the first of its kind to analyze the relationship between freshwater monitoring and the race and ethnicity of nearby communities.
Texas Adopts Statewide Flood Plan
The plan outlines thousands of suggestions for mitigating flood risk, which pose a threat in all of the state’s planning regions.
Western States Face New Round of Water Cuts
In Nevada, efforts to conserve water include a ban on ornamental grass and regulations on swimming pool sizes.
Texas Water Board to Distribute $1 Billion for Infrastructure Improvements
The state must invest $80 billion by 2070 to upgrade its outdated water infrastructure.
California’s 2024 Drinking Water Needs Assessment Reveals Critical Issues in Public Water Systems
The assessment identifies 385 failing public water systems and highlights significant funding gaps and affordability challenges in ensuring safe drinking water for disadvantaged communities.
New Orleans Program Installing Public Water Fountains
The city plans to install drinking fountains in more neighborhoods to provide access to water for unhoused residents.
Illegal Roads Threaten Lake Mead’s Shoreline
As visitors seek out ways to reach the lake’s increasingly distant shoreline, officials say illegally created roads are damaging environmental and cultural resources and leading to hundreds of calls for rescue for stranded vehicles.
Pagination
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 Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority