blog post Video: Water and Growth in the West By Ellen Hanak Feb 18, 2016 When water supplies are tight, the question of whether government should limit growth rises to the surface. Ellen Hanak discusses the issue at a conference on water sustainability in the West.
Report Cities Under Pressure: Local Growth Controls and Residential Development Policy By Paul Lewis, Max Neiman Jan 1, 2002 Some critics have argued that local growth controls are a major cause of the state’s housing shortfalls and affordability problems. In Cities Under Pressure: Local Growth Controls and Residential Development Policy, Paul Lewis and Max Neiman probe this argument by examining the residential development policies of California’s cities. Focusing on local efforts to control the amount, type, and location of new housing, the authors use a variety of data sources--including a detailed survey of almost 300 city planning officials in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Central Valley--to investigate which communities adopt growth controls and why. Their findings indicate that most growth management policies are understandable responses to the cross-pressures experienced by city officials.
blog post Making Homes More Water Efficient By Lori Pottinger Sep 29, 2016 An expert interview on how California could save billions of gallons a year if older homes were as water efficient as newer ones.
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.
blog post Californians Can Save Water—and Preserve Quality of Life By Ellen Hanak Apr 14, 2015 Californians are starting to realize that it’s possible to have beautiful communities while using much less water for landscaping.
California Economic Policy, Report Lawns and Water Demand in California By Ellen Hanak, Matthew Davis Jul 12, 2006 Over the next 25 years, outdoor water use will be a major factor in escalating water demand in California. The demand will be aggravated by the dominant land-use pattern in inland areas: single-family homes with lush lawns. Without efforts aimed specifically at reducing outdoor urban water use, the demand will pose significant financial and environmental challenges for California. In this issue of CEP, the authors analyze population growth and housing trends in the state’s major climactic regions, estimate residential lot and yard sizes, and examine the water needs of cool-season turf grass lawns. They also evaluate several outdoor water conservation programs.
Report Managing Water and Farmland Transitions in the San Joaquin Valley By Ellen Hanak, Andrew Ayres, Caitlin Peterson, Alvar Escriva-Bou ... Sep 18, 2023 How can the San Joaquin Valley adapt to a future with less water? We’ve been researching this issue for the past seven years, and our new report presents highlights from we’ve learned, including a robust list of policy suggestions to help the valley weather—and make the most of—the coming changes.
blog post A Water Sector Energy Hog By Alvar Escriva-Bou Dec 20, 2016 When we use water, we’re also using energy—sometimes a lot. Where does it all go, and how can we best save both water and energy?
California Counts, Report Who’s Your Neighbor? Residential Segregation and Diversity in California By Sonya Tafoya, Hans Johnson, Juan Onesimo Sandoval Aug 1, 2002 Examines the extent to which the growing Latino and Asian populations in the state have led to greater racial/ethnic segregation or integration within specific neighborhoods, cities, counties, and regions of the state.
Occasional Paper, Report Residential Development and Growth Control Policies: Survey Results from Cities in Three California Regions By Paul Lewis, Max Neiman Jul 1, 2000 Documentation of results of a survey sent to city planners in metropolitan Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, and the Central Valley, July 2000.
