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Economics of Sound Planning

Walkability And The Culture Wars

Walkability and the culture wars

An unfortunate recent article by Aaron Gordon for Vice is titled, "Walking Places Is Part of the Culture Wars Now." It's centered around a discussion of recent survey results from Pew Research, which appear to show that a majority of Americans prefer a neighborhood with larger homes and yards, but where driving is a must to get to schools, stores, and restaurants, versus a neighborhood where amenities are in walking distance, but the homes are smaller and closer together.  …

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Zoning And “Bigness”

Zoning and “Bigness”

Back in April, Daniel Herriges at Strong Towns wrote an excellent article called “Pretextual Planning is Absolutely Everywhere.” What does that mean? Essentially, the article is about zoning rules that are written into the code not because the requirement itself is considered important, but because it’s seen as increasing the bargaining power of the municipality vis-à-vis the developer.   Read more from Addison Del Mastro with Strong Towns here.

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Boerne Mayor Bracing For Impact Of Approaching San Antonio Sprawl

Boerne mayor bracing for impact of approaching San Antonio sprawl

That continued explosive development northwest of San Antonio comes at a cost. And Boerne, a quaint town grappling with its own growing pains, could pay a steep price. “Candidly, most of the growth that’s going on is outside of the city limits of Boerne. There are no rules for what that looks like,” Boerne Mayor Tim Handren said. “I don’t know what it’s going to look like. That’s the bad thing."   Read more from the San Antonio Business Journal…

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Droughts Push More People To Migrate Than Floods

Droughts push more people to migrate than floods

After a year of extreme weather, people in the drylands of northern California and the hurricane-drenched bayous of southern Louisiana are brooding on the same question: should we leave? New global research suggests that one of these “water shock” scenarios is more likely to result in migration. World Bank researchers found that people are five times as likely to move following drought conditions as they are after floods or periods of excess water.   Read more from Brett Walton with…

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From The Toilet To The Sink: Water Recycling Battles Scarcity

From the toilet to the sink: water recycling battles scarcity

Would you take a swig of water from your faucet if it originally came from the sewer? Treating wastewater to put it back into public use can help against water crises around the world, according to the United Nations, though the practice has to overcome the "yuck" factor among the public. Wastewater that has been through a treatment plant is typically discharged into rivers.   Read more from Catherine Hours from Phys.org here.

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If You Live Within The Guadalupe Blanco Watershed And Have Had Problems With Flooding, We Need To Hear From You.

If you live within the Guadalupe Blanco watershed and have had problems with flooding, we need to hear from you.

Do you live in the Guadalupe River’s flood planning region? If so, we want to hear from you! Help the Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning Group identify areas with potential flood risk by filling out this interactive survey map by September 3. Your feedback is crucial to building a regional flood plan and gaining funding support through the TWDB Flood Infrastructure Fund. Click here to fill out the survey or click here to learn more about Region 11 Guadalupe Regional Flood Planning…

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Young Life Camp Withdraws Wastewater Permit, Will Employ Zero-discharge Approach

Young Life camp withdraws wastewater permit, will employ zero-discharge approach

LoneHollow Ranch, a camp in the Vanderpool area owned by Young Life, a Colorado-based Christian organization, recently announced they will be withdrawing their wastewater discharge permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and moving forward with a zero-discharge water conservation plan. The new zero-discharge plan, developed in a collaboration with the Cibolo Conservatory and also based on discussions with TCEQ, utilizes two complementary permits governing water usage on the property. Read more from the Bandera Bulletin here.

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Big News On Young Life Permit

Big news on Young Life permit

HCA is happy to share some GREAT news from the Bandera Canyonlands Alliance, LoneHollow Ranch, and The Cibolo Conservancy! After months of opposition, including a petition garnering nearly 25,000 signatures and three county resolutions opposing the wastewater permit application, Young Life's LoneHollow Ranch has announced they will be withdrawing their request for a TCEQ discharge permit. Instead, they will be enacting a Zero-Discharge water conservation plan and pursuing a Texas Land Application Permit (TLAP). Read on for an excerpt from BCA's recent press release…

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Economic Benefits Report From Great Springs Project

Economic Benefits Report from Great Springs Project

With the expert guidance of Alta Planning + Design and National Park Service, Great Springs Project is proud to present the Economic Benefits Report for the trail from the Alamo to the Capitol to quantify the financial return from the 100+-mile trail network and 50,000 conserved acres of land in the GSP corridor. The report includes economic, health, environmental, and transportation cost savings as well as climate change data including carbon sequestration.   For more details and to read the full report from the…

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What Future Do We Desire For The Trinity Aquifers?

What future do we desire for the Trinity Aquifers?

Across the Hill Country, residents and visitors depend on the groundwater stored in the Trinity Aquifers as water supply and to provide baseflow through springs that keep iconic creeks and rivers flowing.  Residents have a voice through the regional planning process to discuss and set goals to guide the future we desire for the Trinity Aquifers. Read more from Robin Gary with Wimberley Valley Watershed Association here.

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