Cities and Water

Droughts, global warming and rising infrastructure costs have brought new attention to water as both an urban planning and an environmental issue. This volume presents many best-practice case studies to show how cities and towns throughout the United States are restoring their wetlands, watersheds, rivers, beaches, and harbors even as rapid urbanization has put more stress on water supplies. These collected accounts are designed to educate citizens and public officials about water-related issues and future concerns. Regional and national resource directories are included.

Roger L. Kemp, Ph.D., ICMA-CM, has been a city manager on both the East and West coasts for more than 25 years. He is presently Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Golden Gate University and a Fellow of The Academy of Political Science.

Edited by Roger L. Kemp

Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 242
Bibliographic Info: appendices, index
Copyright Date: 2009
pISBN: 978-0-7864-3469-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vi
Preface      1

Part I. Cities and Water
1. People, Water, and the Urban Environment
Michael Burger      7
2. America’s Aging Water-Related Infrastructure
Lori Burkhammer      11
3. Water Regulations and Land Use
Jon D. Witten      15
4. Protecting Our Watersheds
Jonas Sipaila and William McCully      20
5. Safeguarding Our Drinking Water
Stephen Goudey and Laura Tipple      25
6. The Relationship of Water to Growth
Richard M. Stapleton      27

Part II. The Best Practices
7. Allenstown, NH, Improves Its Wastewater Treatment Process
Ray Gordon      31
8. Aurora, CO, Preserves and Protects Its Water Supply
Amy Kimball      33
9. Ayer, MA, and Other Cities Must Preserve Their Water Supply to Accommodate Growth
Cory S. Hopkins      36
10. Baltimore, MD, and Other Cities Revitalize Their Harbor Areas
Guillermo Lopez      39
11. Boston, MA, and Other Cities Use Citizens and Nonprofit Groups to Clean Up Rivers
Tom Arrandale      44
12. Bradenton, FL, Area Prepares Boating Paradise on Its Rivers and Streams
John Osborne      50
13. Bradley Beach, NJ, Restores and Protects Its Beach Shoreline
JoAnne Castagna      54
14. Charleston, SC, and Other Cities Protect Their Urban Waterfronts
John Buntin      57
15. Charlotte, NC, Restores Stream and Wetlands Corridor Area
Pete Romocki and Chris Matthews      63
16. Chicago, IL, Considers Options to Expand Its Future Water Resources
Geoff Manaugh      66
17. Cleveland, OH, and Other Cities Improve Their Drinking Water Infrastructure
Nancy Zeilig      68
18. Delphos, OH, and Other Cities Improve Their Aging Wastewater Systems
Lori Burkhammer      73
19. Fort Worth, TX, Removes Levees to Reconnect Waterways to Its Neighborhoods
Richard Sawey      77
20. Halifax, NS, Improves Harbor Water Quality with Massive Sewage Infrastructure Improvements
Alec Mackie      80
21. Houston, TX, Improves the Management of Its Stormwater
Amara Rozgus      83
22. Jacksonville, NC, Reconstructs Its Wetlands and Cleans Its Bay
Carole Moore      86
23. Kansas City, KS, Restores Its Urban Habitat and Improves Water Quality
Laurie Brown      91
24. Las Vegas, NV, Master Plan Focuses on Regional Flood Control, Neighborhood Drainage, and Sanitary Sewers
Amara Rozgus      97
25. Los Angeles, CA, Inner-City Renewal Plan Focuses on Restoring the “Lost” River
Hilary Kaplan      100
26. Miami, FL, Shapes Its Future by Restoring and Preserving Its River
Herb Hiller      104
27. Moscow, ID, Restores Nature to Improve Its Rivers and Their Wetlands
Amanda Cronin      107
28. New Orleans, LA, and Other Cities Restore Inner-City Parks and Their Waterways
Jim Miara      112
29. Philadelphia, PA, and Other Cities Clean Contaminated Sites to Restore Their Aging Riverfront Areas
Roshi Pelaseyed      117
30. St. Augustine, FL, Creates New Wetland Areas to Offset Urban Growth Patterns
B.J. Bukata, Debra Segal, Toney Cubbedge, and Rich Turnbull      122
31. St. George, ME, May Acquire Property to Ensure Public Access to Its Shoreline
Peter Ralston      126
32. Salt Lake City, UT, and Other Cities Benefit from Public and Private Wetlands Preservation and Mitigation Programs
Michael M. Brodsky      130
33. San Francisco, CA, Enhances Its Water Quality by Using Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans
Gary J. Goodemote      135
34. Santa Barbara, CA, Protects Its Coastline While There’s Still Time
Gordy Slack      139
35. Santa Fe, NM, Works with Citizen Groups to Restore a River and Its Corridor
William Poole      142
36. Santa Monica, CA, and Other Cities Let Mother Nature Guide New Stormwater Management Practices
Donald Baker, Les Lampe, and Laura Adams      148
37. Scottsdale, AZ, and Other Cities Reclaim, Recycle, and Reuse Their Wastewater
David Mansfield, Paul Shoenberger, James Crook, and Karen DeCampli      151
38. Seattle, WA, Uses Smart Growth Practices to Improve Water Quality
Lisa Nisenson and Jennifer Molloy      155
39. Streamwood, IL, Takes Measures to Protect Its Rivers and Streams
Steve Gibbs      163
40. Toledo, OH, Takes Steps to Remove Pollutants from Its Rivers to Improve Water Quality
Joshua J. O’Neil and Stephen M. Way      166
41. University Place, WA, Prepares Multi-Agency Master Plan for Water-Sensitive Land Area
Brett Davis      170
42. Washington, DC, Improves the Quality of Its Drinking Water
Kevin Dixon      173
43. West Des Moines, IA, Turns River and Watershed Into Park and Open Space
Sally Ortgies and Edwin Slattery      176
44. Yorklyn, DE, and Other Cities Adopt Plans to Protect Buildings in Floodplains from Water
Michael Powell and Robin Ringler      180

Part III. The Future
45. Growth and Water Issues
Michelle Henrie      185
46. Reclaiming Our Rivers
Nancy L. Fleming      189
47. The Riverfront Conservation Movement
Greg Breining      193
48. Smart Growth and Water Benefits U.S. Environmental Protection Agency      197
49. Restorative Development
Storm Cunningham      200
50. Cities, Water, People, and the Future
Martha Sutro      205

Appendices
A. Abbreviations and Acronyms      209
B. Glossary of Terms      211
C. Periodical Bibliography      219
D.Water Webliography      220
E. Regional Resource Directory      221
F. National Resource Directory      223

About the Editor and Contributors      225
Index      229

• “for students and researchers who need information about how city and state planners have addresses the challenges of water needs in their growing communities, this is an essential work that should be consulted often”—ARBA
• “environmental issues have created new challenges for urban planners and policymakers, and this handbook uses case studies from throughout the United States to offer these individuals a working list of the best practices”—Reference & Research Book News