Article
Water-smart growth planning: linking water and land in the arid urbanizing American West
Journal of Environmental Planning and Management
(2017)
Abstract
Linking water and land is essential in planning for the future of the western United
States. We propose the concept of ‘water-smart growth’ and explore its implications
through incorporating water considerations into the SLEUTH land-use model. The
urban growth trajectory in Cache County, Utah, is modeled from 2007 to 2030 under
four different scenarios: current trend; smart growth; water-smart growth with
moderate implementation; and water-smart growth with full implementation.
Comparisons of simulation results illustrate the extent and ways in which water-smart
growth would alter current established land-use growth patterns. The approach
represents an initial step to better integrate land and water in urban growth modeling
and planning. This study’s purposes are to provide improved understanding and
representation of linkages between water and land in urbanizing environments, offer
insights from a set of modeled options, and demonstrate the significance of integrating
land and water in planning practices.
Article first published online on Sept. 26, 2016.
Keywords
- land-use planning; water management; integrated planning; urban growth modeling
Disciplines
Publication Date
Spring 2017
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09640568.2016.1197106
Citation Information
Enjie Li, Shujuan Li and Joanna Endter-Wada. "Water-smart growth planning: linking water and land in the arid urbanizing American West" Journal of Environmental Planning and Management Vol. 60 Iss. 6 (2017) p. 1056 - 1072 ISSN: 0964-0568 (Print) 1360-0559 (Online) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/joanna_endterwada/87/