Land Lines October 2015
The Super Ditch
A Colorado corporation is creating a new paradigm for sustainable water use in the West. Irrigated farmland is placed under conservation easement, and cities “harvest” the water on a rotating basis avoiding the municipal “buy and dry” trend that is devastating the region’s landscapes and economies.
Charting Progress
Data-driven decision making is easier than ever with this mostly free, intuitive online mapping tool. Featuring expert statistics on 37,000 indicators—from public education and house prices to crime rates—the web’s largest geographic database helps policy makers avoid getting stuck on the wrong side of the widening digital divide.
Back to the Future
In 2014, Holyoke and five other struggling cities in Massachusetts won a total of $1.8 million from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. With a boost from the prize money, local leaders are collaborating with the private sector and community groups to revive their economies and create opportunities for even their neediest residents.
In this issue, we feature articles on water as a cash crop in the West, technology cures for municipal fiscal health, and the Working Cities challenge.