Policy Focus Reports
Integrating Land Use and Water Management
Planning and Practice
February 2022, English
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“Currently no other published document outlines so clearly how land use planners and water managers can come together in practicum to better coordinate.”
— Danielle Gallet, Founding Principal + Water Strategist, Waterwell, LLC
Land without water cannot support urban form of any scale, yet many land use decisions are made without regard to water, and vice versa. This report introduces readers to best management practices that enable local governments and water providers to integrate the two systems. Supported by case studies from several U.S. communities, the report demonstrates that planning is a crucial step for land and water integration.
About the Author
Erin Rugland was a program manager for the Babbitt Center for Land and Water Policy, a center of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. She analyzes the intersection of water, land, and governance in urban planning and water management to support community resilience in the face of drought and climate change.
Reviews
“Integrating Land Use and Water Management is relevant, informative, and necessary at this moment in time. In the age of specialization, we have created many silos. As problems with the urban water cycle become more complex and multidimensional, collaboration with other disciplinary experts is needed. This report provides a practical bridge to facilitate collaboration between land use planners and water management.”
— Chi Ho Sham, Ph.D., Vice President and Chief Scientist of Eastern Research Group, Inc.; President-elect of the American Water Works Association (2020–2021)
“Integrating Land Use and Water Management outlines the increased importance of improved land/water planning coordination in light of growing water shortages and increased unpredictability and intensity of storm events. It describes the multiple ways in which land planning and water resource planning depend on each other for their effectiveness, includes best management practices to improve coordination, and offers case studies that cover a wide range of possible approaches.”
— Donald L. Elliott, FAICP, Esq., Director, Clarion Associates, LLC