For improved water efficiency in cities, water managers and urban planners must coordinate their efforts better, according to a new report led by University of Arizona landscape architecture and planning researchers.
Lack of time and resources and practitioners not in the habit of working together were cited as the main factors stymieing better collaboration, according to responses to a national survey of water managers and urban planners. The report includes a tool for practitioners to identify goals for collaboration and what barriers might stand in their way.
The first steps toward improved collaboration include joint training sessions where water managers and urban planners hear each other's challenges and brainstorm ways of coordinating their work. Where coordination works well, a water engineer might sit in on development review meetings for new projects and weigh in during permitting to ensure that the new development would achieve groundwater and stormwater goals of regional and state agencies.
In the future, water managers and urban planners could help staff each other's agencies for a complete integration of the two functions.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Jun 4, 2015
NIBS, RICS to explore P3 as tool to achieve high-performance buildings
The idea of applying the P3 concept more to buildings, and especially building performance, is a potentially promising new avenue in the U.S., according to the trade groups.
University Buildings | May 30, 2015
Texas senate approves $3 billion in bonds for university construction
For the first time in nearly a decade, Texas universities could soon have some state money for construction.
Multifamily Housing | May 30, 2015
Energy Department releases resources to assess building energy benchmarking policies, programs
The new handbook demonstrates methodologies using real data from New York City.
Codes and Standards | May 27, 2015
Construction industry concerns with ‘Waters of the U.S.’ rule remain
EPA and Corps of Engineers rule may lead to a longer, more expensive permitting process
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
Rapid growth for environmental insurance in construction industry
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is paying closer attention to intrusion of potentially harmful vapors into commercial and residential buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
Roof collapse at Minnesota water park highlights failure to enforce codes
Rural areas say they can’t afford to enforce state-adopted building code.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
U.S. House scuttles EPA plan to expand definition of waters in Clean Water Act
Construction industry officials said the rule would hamper developers, cost jobs.
Codes and Standards | May 22, 2015
First EPD covering PVC water and wastewater piping published
Benchmarks impacts of seven PVC pipe products across their life cycles.
Office Buildings | May 18, 2015
New ASHRAE standard offers test method to determine heat gain of office equipment
The standard will aid engineers in configuring cooling systems in office buildings.
Codes and Standards | May 7, 2015
Widespread damage from Nepal earthquake due to poor implementation of building code
Nepal’s code author says destruction was ‘inevitable.’
