Water Use
Pennsylvania is building data centers in abandoned mines
Housing data centers in mines provides an alternative to destroying local forests and may spare residents from data centers’ noise and air pollution.
New bill requires California data center developers to create water scarcity plans
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed 7 bills intended to give California communities more information about the impact of proposed data centers.
Data centers are consuming nearly 25% of Oregon’s power
The state has 111 data centers, with 32 more either planned or under construction.
Data centers are booming near the West's fastest-shrinking lakes
Years of drought, water diversion and climate change have caused Western lakes to shrink dramatically.
Californians Struggle To Cut Water Use
The state is slowly starting to curb water consumption, but progress has been ‘disappointingly slow’ as water supplies across the West diminish to historic lows.
How Most Western Cities Decreased Water Usage While Growing In Population
Regulation and incentivization helped cities in the Western United States keep water usage and population growth on opposite trend lines.
Insufficient Groundwater for Arizona County's Planned Development
New projections for Pinal County in Arizona show that water demand will exceed the area’s supply.
Albuquerque Exceeds Water Conservation Goals
The city says water conservation programs and customer cutbacks have resulted in a drop in water usage.
Concrete’s Contribution to the Rise and Decline of Civilization
As the world becomes more encased in concrete, the detrimental effects of its widespread use are increasing in scale and severity.
Generating Thermal Energy Requires Water, Lots of It
Water is an important part of the thermal energy process – one that we may not think as much about.
As Drought Returns to Texas, Report Recommends Stricter Rules on Outdoor Water Use
A report from a coalition of nonprofits recommends, among other restrictions, allowing outdoor watering only twice per week.
Let's Talk Water
Water has been an integral part of the designed landscape for centuries, but is it time to reevaluate its relevance?
The Passaic River: A Postindustrial River Reimagined
Writer Jeff Byles chronicles the Passaic River's relationship to Paterson, New Jersey and how its revival can prove beneficial for the city in this second installment of the Paterson series.
What Droughts Say About Planners and Water Officials
When water policy and land use planning operate in separate spheres, it's more difficult to design for efficient resource use. Better communication is needed in the drought-stricken southwest.
An Interactive Map of California's Urban Water Use
California has commenced new water use reporting requirements, which the Pacific Institute has compiled into an interactive map and database to provide accessible evidence about where the state's water goes.
U.S. Water Use Hits 45-Year Low
Recent data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that the country is using less water even as its population grows.
'Droughtshaming' and the Death of Fun
Laura Bliss provides a summary of the controversy surrounding plans to bring the "Slide the City" event to Temple Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles.
Deep Flaws Found in California's Water Use Reporting
The special status of "senior rights holders" among California water interests is well documented. Not as well documented is the system which allows errors in water use reports to protect the interests of a fortunate few.
Historic Drought Offers Historic Opportunity
Charles Fishman pens an opinion piece for The New York Times arguing that America's worst drought since the 1950s offers "an opportunity to tackle long-ignored water problems and to reimagine how we manage, use and even think about water."
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
