- Read: To focus on energy efficiency is to make present ways of life non-negotiable
- Read: An Aridzona suburb loses its water supply (yep, saw that coming). Related: Drying reservoirs are reducing hydropower generation
- Read: Twas the first iceless Christmas
- Read: How ChatGPT Will Destabilize White-Collar Work and how universities are changing to reduce cheating risk
- Listen: Being Human in the Age of AI (reminds me of my 2005 paper on how Google [search] will eliminate amateurs — and thus the next leaders)
- Watch: Why Amsterdam is [not really] Removing 10,000 Parking Spaces (the ideas in my parking paper make an appearance). Related: this podcast on local zoning
- Read: Google maps democratises spatial feedback
- Read: Alaska’s Arctic Waterways are toxifying due to CC
- Listen: The facts behind eating local
- Read: The rise of the scented-candle industrial complex
H/T to ED
Prof. David:
Laws for builders and the developments are rather weak (my opinion) in Arizona. If the water information was called out in the contract to buy, there would be a reason to blame the buyer. I suspect it was poo-poohed by the sellers as something which would always be there.
South of Phoenix, you will see two cities building up their areas as quickly as possible. I am assuming all approved plans by the City Council will be grandfathered in to planning needs for ground water as supplied by the Colorado. Developers have a large degree of influence in these two communities.
They were transferring land to the city with a Plat drawing which was inaccurate with different street names and erroneous streets. There are no houses on this land yet and the transfer takes place after buildout. They got pretty ugly with me and still passed the annexation with a unanimous vote.
I could not answer the City Manager back as I would then be called “out-of- order and escorted out.
Good commentary.
Thanks for the interesting details Bill. Agreed on buyer beware. The fine print matters with developers!
As for shenanigans elsewhere? Yep. That’s the Wild West 🙂
Interesting dynamic in the legal battle between California & Arizona over Colorado River water.
It seems that AZ’s strategy has been to expand it’s housing/population while totally disregarding the lack of secured water necessary – and then to cry out, “We understand that you (CA) have legal standing, but you MUST supply us with water – look at all of the people that would go thirsty, and the economic catastrophe that would result if you don’t!”
Kind of a “too big to fail” + hostage taking strategy. I hope that AZ pays some consequences for it’s flagrantly irresponsible decisions.
A showdown over Colorado River water is setting the stage for a high-stakes legal battle
Ella Nilsen – https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/30/us/colorado-river-water-california-arizona-climate/index.html
Yes, that’s a good point, DPG, but I would guess that the fight INSIDE AZ will be first, i.e., urbans wanting irrigators’ water. Wait and see 😉