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• 1. [Article] Determinants of Single Family Residential Water Use Across Scales in Four Western US Cities

  A growing body of literature examines urban water sustainability with increasing evidence that locally-based physical and social spatial interactions contribute to water use. These studies however are ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Determinants of Single Family Residential Water Use Across Scales in Four Western US Cities Author: Chang, Heejun, Bonnette, Matthew Ryan, Stoker, Philip, Crow-Miller, Britt, Wentz, Elizabeth A, Year: 2017 A growing body of literature examines urban water sustainability with increasing evidence that locally-based physical and social spatial interactions contribute to water use. These studies however are based on single-city analysis and often fail to consider whether these interactions occur more generally. We examine a multi-city comparison using a common set of spatially-explicit water, socioeconomic, and biophysical data. We investigate the relative importance of variables for explaining the variations of single family residential (SFR) water uses at Census Block Group (CBG) and Census Tract (CT) scales in four representative western US cities - Austin, Phoenix, Portland, and Salt Lake City, - which cover a wide range of climate and development density. We used both ordinary least squares regression and spatial error regression models to identify the influence of spatial dependence on water use patterns. Our results show that older downtown areas show lower water use than newer suburban areas in all four cities. Tax assessed value and building age are the main determinants of SFR water use across the four cities regardless of the scale. Impervious surface area becomes an important variable for summer water use in all cities, and it is important in all seasons for arid environments such as Phoenix. CT level analysis shows better model predictability than CBG analysis. In all cities, seasons, and spatial scales, spatial error regression models better explain the variations of SFR water use. Such a spatially-varying relationship of urban water consumption provides additional evidence for the need to integrate urban land use planning and municipal water planning. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Title: Determinants of Single Family Residential Water Use Across Scales in Four Western US Cities Author: Chang, Heejun, Bonnette, Matthew Ryan, Stoker, Philip, Crow-Miller, Britt, Wentz, Elizabeth A, Year: 2017 A growing body of literature examines urban water sustainability with increasing evidence that locally-based physical and social spatial interactions contribute to water use. These studies however are based on single-city analysis and often fail to consider whether these interactions occur more generally. We examine a multi-city comparison using a common set of spatially-explicit water, socioeconomic, and biophysical data. We investigate the relative importance of variables for explaining the variations of single family residential (SFR) water uses at Census Block Group (CBG) and Census Tract (CT) scales in four representative western US cities - Austin, Phoenix, Portland, and Salt Lake City, - which cover a wide range of climate and development density. We used both ordinary least squares regression and spatial error regression models to identify the influence of spatial dependence on water use patterns. Our results show that older downtown areas show lower water use than newer suburban areas in all four cities. Tax assessed value and building age are the main determinants of SFR water use across the four cities regardless of the scale. Impervious surface area becomes an important variable for summer water use in all cities, and it is important in all seasons for arid environments such as Phoenix. CT level analysis shows better model predictability than CBG analysis. In all cities, seasons, and spatial scales, spatial error regression models better explain the variations of SFR water use. Such a spatially-varying relationship of urban water consumption provides additional evidence for the need to integrate urban land use planning and municipal water planning. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Close

• 2. [Article] Facilitating Collaborative Urban Water Management Through University-Utility Cooperation

  In the face of intensifying stresses such as climate change, rapid urban population growth, land use change, and public concern with rates and use restrictions, water management is becoming increasingly ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Facilitating Collaborative Urban Water Management Through University-Utility Cooperation Author: Crow-Miller, Britt, Chang, Heejun, Stoker, Philip, Wentz, Elizabeth A, Year: 2016 In the face of intensifying stresses such as climate change, rapid urban population growth, land use change, and public concern with rates and use restrictions, water management is becoming increasingly complex in the cities of the American West. One strategy to improve water management practices in this changing social-ecological context is to develop collaborative relationships that facilitate the engagement of multiple stakeholders at multiple scales. At the local level, one important but frequently underdeveloped collaborative link is that between university researchers and water utilities, who together occupy the interstitial space between science and decision-making, while at the same time interfacing with water users. Based on workshop data, a pilot survey, and interviews with representative water managers and university researchers from cities across the American West, we identify a number of barriers to establishing collaborative platforms from which utilities and university researchers can effectively work together to tackle challenges around sustainable urban water management in the twenty-first century. We make suggestions for overcoming these barriers and argue that developing an integrated model for university-utility collaborations is a critical area on which we must focus our collective attention if sustainable urban water management is to be achieved. Title: Facilitating Collaborative Urban Water Management Through University-Utility Cooperation Author: Crow-Miller, Britt, Chang, Heejun, Stoker, Philip, Wentz, Elizabeth A, Year: 2016 In the face of intensifying stresses such as climate change, rapid urban population growth, land use change, and public concern with rates and use restrictions, water management is becoming increasingly complex in the cities of the American West. One strategy to improve water management practices in this changing social-ecological context is to develop collaborative relationships that facilitate the engagement of multiple stakeholders at multiple scales. At the local level, one important but frequently underdeveloped collaborative link is that between university researchers and water utilities, who together occupy the interstitial space between science and decision-making, while at the same time interfacing with water users. Based on workshop data, a pilot survey, and interviews with representative water managers and university researchers from cities across the American West, we identify a number of barriers to establishing collaborative platforms from which utilities and university researchers can effectively work together to tackle challenges around sustainable urban water management in the twenty-first century. We make suggestions for overcoming these barriers and argue that developing an integrated model for university-utility collaborations is a critical area on which we must focus our collective attention if sustainable urban water management is to be achieved. Close