report Archives - Urban Waters Learning Network

The More the Mossier: Using Community Science to Map Air Quality in Environmental Justice Investigations

March 29, 2023

Concerned about air quality in south-central Seattle’s Duwamish Valley, community leaders collaborated with USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station to implement a study similar to one in Portland, Oregon, in 2015 that found that urban tree moss indicated the presence of airborne toxic metals. Together, PNW Research Station scientists and community leaders designed a study that not only collected moss samples from this heavily polluted area but also engaged 55 community members, including 25 members of the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps, to do so.

State Revolving Fund Advocacy Toolkit

January 5, 2023

The State Revolving Fund (SRF) Advocacy Toolkit, created in partnership between River Network and Clean Water For All, was developed to support state and local advocates interested in water infrastructure investment who are seeking to better understand the State Revolving Fund (SRF) process.

Hazard Mitigation Assistance Mitigation Action Portfolio

October 17, 2022

“This portfolio showcases mitigation projects to provide practitioners with examples of activities that integrate the Investment Strategy’s goals and reflect the guiding principles of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 (DRRA). Beginning in 2020, the Building Resilient Infrastructure and … Continued

2020 Colorado Resiliency Framework

August 12, 2022

The 2020 Resiliency Framework from the Colorado Resiliency Office highlights cross-sector work as an important component to implementing equitable resilience. The framework also highlights priorities and action steps to achieve them. “Colorado creatively implements forward-thinking solutions that are sustainable … Continued

Survivors as Experts: A Community Evaluation of Disaster Recovery in Northeast Houston

December 8, 2021

Using community-based research, West Street Recovery published the report Survivors as Experts: A Community Evaluation of Disaster Recovery in Northeast Houston to “identify and analyze the barriers to recovery from the perspective of residents living in low income Black and … Continued

Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience

November 2, 2021

Building Alliances for Equitable Resilience was developed by the Resilient Nation Partnership Network to deliver insights and perspectives to achieving a more resilient nation. The report includes Partner Perspectives on topics like equity vs. equality and overcoming unconscious bias and … Continued

Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States

September 22, 2021

The report provides information about how six climate change impacts–(1) air quality and health, (2) extreme temperature and health, (3) extreme temperature and labor, (4) coastal flooding and traffic, (5) coastal flooding and property, and (6) inland flooding and property– … Continued

Climate Adaptation Actions for Urban Forests and Human Health

September 22, 2021

The report provides an Urban Forest and Health Menu that compiles nature-based adaptation actions from peer-reviewed research. The menu includes nine adaptation strategies that are designed to be used with the Adaptation Workbook–a step-by-step process that helps users consider … Continued

Duwamish Valley Action Plan

July 16, 2021

The City of Seattle, in cooperation with community partners, the Duwamish Valley Action Plan: Advancing Environmental Justice & Equitable Development in Seattle. Priority areas include: Healthy Environment, Parks and Open Spaces, Community Capacity, Mobility and Transportation, Economic Opportunity and Jobs, … Continued

Policy and Planning Tools for Urban Green Justice

June 30, 2021

The report by the Barcelona Laboratory for Urban Environmental Justice and Sustainability partnered with several organizations to create the report Policy and Planning Tools for Urban Green Justice: Fighting displacement and gentrification and improving accessibility and inclusivity to green amenities. … Continued

Equitable Water Infrastructure Toolkit

June 22, 2021

This River Network Equitable Infrastructure Toolkit is a one-stop shop for community stakeholders, advocates, and leaders to: Identify the factors that affect water affordability; Become familiar with water infrastructure funding and financing mechanisms; and Understand the role and impact of … Continued

Water Equity Taskforce: Insights for the Water Sector

June 21, 2021

. The current report presents the lessons learned by the task force members that can offer insights about water equity to philanthropic leaders, water utilities, and community and environmental leaders.

Promoting Water Reuse through Partnership Programs: National Estuary Program and Urban Waters Partnerships Delivering on EPA’s Water Reuse Action Plan

May 10, 2021

This report provides a snapshot of recent water reuse projects and initiatives that have been successful across some of the NEP and Urban Waters (UW) partnership locations.

The Opportunity on Water

April 26, 2021

The Opportunity on Water: How public opinion, politics, and decades of deep organizing have set the stage for real progress, right now is a new report by the Water Hub that shows how water is “common thread that runs through … Continued

Green Stormwater Infrastructure: Impact on Property Values

December 10, 2020

The report from the Center for Neighborhood Technology outlines the impacts of green infrastructure investments on property values. The report also addresses the issue of green gentrification and includes anti-displacement practices. The authors state: “The best practices around the country … Continued

Connecting Passaic to the River: Dundee Island Waterfront Park and Community Engagement Profile

October 28, 2020

The white paper–created by the Passaic River Urban Waters Federal Partnership, NY/NJ Harbor and Estuary Program, and the USDA Forest Service–reports on findings from a public outreach project targeted at understanding community access and relationship to public parks in Passaic. … Continued

Resilience Hubs: Shifting Power to Communities and Increasing Community Capacity

September 8, 2020

The report from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network defines Resilience Hubs as a way to include equity-centered strategies that intersectionally reduce vulnerability and greenhouse gas emissions while engaging community members. In addition to defining key components of Resilience Hubs and … Continued

Opportunities for Equitable Adaptation in Cities

September 8, 2020

The report summarizes a workshop hosted by the Georgetown Climate Center and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network. The workshop brought together city, state, and federal officials to discuss methods to include social equity and environmental justice in building resilience to … Continued

Fixing America’s Broken Disaster Housing Recovery System, Part 2: Policy Framework Reform Recommendations

August 17, 2020

In October 2019, more than 850 members of the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC)–a group hosted by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)–convened to discuss policy recommendations for reforming national disaster housing recovery. After the convening, the NLIHC and … Continued

Fixing America’s Broken Disaster Housing Recovery System, Part 1: Barriers to a Complete and Equitable Recovery

August 17, 2020

The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) planned a convening of more than 850 organizations that are part of the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) for Oct, 2019. The conference met to address systematic racial, income, and accessibility challenges in … Continued

Understanding Rural Attitudes Toward the Environment and Conservation in America

April 23, 2020

This study by Duke University Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions seeks to answer the questions: “Why do rural voters and their representatives often oppose environmental regulations? What accounts for this apparent rural/urban divide on attitudes toward environmental policy? Are … Continued

Sharing in the Benefits of a Greening City

March 13, 2020

The guidelines in this toolkit created by The CREATE Initiative partners comes out of the question: “What does it look like to envision green spaces as sites through which to build a more equitable and just world?” Sharing in the … Continued

The Sustainable Square Mile Handbook

February 28, 2020

The handbook was created from a collaboration between Blacks in Green (BIG) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), making connections between BIG’s programs—the Sustainable Square Mile, Grannynomics, and Green Village Building—and NRDC’s guidelines for Leadership in Energy and Environmental … Continued

UWLN Annual Snapshot 2019

January 21, 2020

The Urban Waters Learning Network tracks the growth of the network on a semi-annual and annual basis. Discover 2019’s numbers on membership, publication of Impact Stories and blog posts, number of webinars produced, and more.

Closing the Water Access Gap in the United States: A National Action Plan

November 19, 2019

More than two million people in the United States live without running water, basic indoor plumbing and sanitation. To close this water gap, it is first important to understand it. The report analyzes the quantitative data from the American Community … Continued

The City of Providence’s Climate Justice Plan

November 5, 2019

In the Fall of 2019, the City of Providence released it’s Climate Justice Plan–a report that outlines the goal to not only become carbon neutral by 2050 but also to dedicate resources to frontline communities in leading the charge. The … Continued

Greening without Gentrification

September 18, 2019

The UCLA Institute of Environment and Sustainability and the University of Utah created the report, Greening without Gentrification, as an analysis of equitable development strategies being employed when large parks and green space are developed in marginalized neighborhoods. The report shares … Continued

Conservation Toolkit: A Guide to Land, Water and Climate Issues and the Impact on Latino Communities

September 4, 2019

The report examines the importance of environmental issues–like public lands, land and water conservation, climate change, heat and drought, and wildfires–for Latino voters. Each section includes an explanation of the environmental issue and why it is important to Latino communities, … Continued

What About Housing: A Policy Toolkit for Inclusive Growth

August 2, 2019

Housing is one of the most important solutions to preventing displacement and creating equitable development. As quoted within the document, “Grounded Solutions Network created this toolkit to help communities understand their housing policy options and the approach that will work … Continued

Our Communities, Our Power: Advancing Resistance and Resilience in Climate Change Adaptation

June 10, 2019

This toolkit was created to guide NAACP units through the process of establishing an Environmental and Climate Justice Committee in order to develop a climate adaptation plan. The action toolkit provides 19 modules ranging from Developing a Community Climate Action … Continued

In the Eye of the Storm: A People’s Guide to Transforming Crisis & Advancing Equity in the Disaster Continuum

June 7, 2019

“This toolkit is designed to guide NAACP units and their Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) Committees through the process of building equity into the four phases of emergency management: prevention and mitigation, preparedness and resilience building, response and relief, and … Continued

An Overview of Clean Water Access Challenges in the United States

May 28, 2019

In 2015, almost 200 United Nations member countries, including the United States, adopted 17 Sustainable Development Goals, a unanimous commitment to address global issues by improving quality of human life, while also protecting the planet. Sustainable Development Goal 6 serves … Continued

Pathway to Parks & Affordable Housing Joint Development

May 13, 2019

Drawing on experiences of Transit Oriented Development, LA THRIVES and Los Angeles Regional Open Space and Affordable Housing (LA ROSAH) Coalition, created a report outlining five strategies that integrate urban greening (i.e. parks and green infrastructure investments) with affordable housing. … Continued

Jobs and Equity in the Urban Forest

April 23, 2019

The report describes opportunities for equitable policy-making in municipal and regional settings for urban forestry initiatives. Community-based workforce development and job opportunities are described as well as an example of the economic impacts of a social enterprise. Successful case studies … Continued

Community Land Trusts and Community Development: Partners Against Displacement

April 5, 2019

The report describes the lack of affordable housing and the prevalence of the problem nationwide. Community Land Trusts (CLTs) are proposed as a common solution to the problem, though they are often on the small scale. Proposals within the report … Continued

11th Street Bridge Park – Equitable Development Plan

March 18, 2019

The 11th Street Bridge Park Equitable Development Plan was developed in 2015 following a year-long, community-led effort to ensure that nearby residents can benefit from this new civic space planned over the Anacostia River in Washington DC. The Plan was … Continued

Equitable Development and Urban Park Space: Results and Insights from the First Two Years of Implementation of the Equitable Development Plan of DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park Project

March 15, 2019

This report begins by outlining the history of development and disinvestment of DC’s Wards 7 and 8, recent housing market trends in the DC area, and resident perspectives on new development. It also outlines the progress of the 11th Street … Continued

Not in Cully: Anti-Displacement Strategies for the Cully Neighborhood

March 11, 2019

The report was created by Master of Urban and Regional Planning students at Portland State University for the Living Cully partnership, which is a collaborative effort to create environmental infrastructure investments without displacing the community. The authors state: There is … Continued

From Projects to Portfolios: Mainstreaming Large-Scale Investment in Integrated Infrastructure

March 11, 2019

In order to get green infrastructure integration and implementation to the scale needed to maximize its many economic, social, and environmental benefits, we will need to rethink not only how government delivers services, but how communities receive and benefit from … Continued

2018 National Training Workshop Summary Notes

February 18, 2019

This workshop summary provides an overview of the 2018 National Training Workshop sessions and key discussion topics. Links to all available presentations and photographs from the workshop are available on the main website. Direct links to each speaker’s presentation are also provided in the summary PDF.

Healthy Development without Displacement

February 14, 2019

This resource from the Prevention Institute addresses the question: “What can people working on “healthy community” issues—like active transportation, parks, healthy food, planning, public health, healthcare, and more—do in their own work to improve community conditions without contributing to gentrification … Continued

Uprooted: Residential Displacement in Austin’s Gentrifying Neighborhoods and What Can Be Done About It

February 8, 2019

The study done by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin had two focus points for urban residential areas: (1) to identify neighborhoods or groups within neighborhoods that are vulnerable to displacement, and (2) to identify strategies and policies … Continued

UWLN Annual Snapshot 2018

January 31, 2019

The Urban Waters Learning Network tracks the growth of the network on a semi-annual and annual basis. View this report to discover this period’s numbers on membership, publication of Impact Stories and blog posts, number of webinars produced, and more.

UWLN Semiannual Snapshot Jan-Jun 2018

November 29, 2018

UWLN Semiannual Snapshot July-Dec 2017

November 29, 2018

UWLN Semiannual Snapshot Jan-Jun 2017

November 29, 2018

UWLN Annual Snapshot 2017

November 29, 2018

UWLN Annual Snapshot 2016

November 29, 2018

Advancing One Water Through Arts and Culture: A Blueprint for Action

July 26, 2018

This report compiles informative case studies, focusing on programs that have successfully incorporated artists, art, and culture into their place-based, transformative approaches. These programs aimed to address affordability issues, make connections between people and their environment, promote holistic water resource management, increase community participation, mitigate and remediate damages, integrate community needs into infrastructure, and support community activism.

Urban Nature for Human Health and Well Being

March 8, 2018

This report provides the latest research on the social, health, and economic benefits of urban green space, with an emphasis on tree canopies. Research shows that more trees and green space in urban areas directly reduce pollution, reduce heat, encourage exercise and related health, lower stress, and improve longevity among residents.

Greening the Jade: an Economic Analysis of the Costs and Benefits of Urban Greening in SE Portland

January 30, 2018

As a result of the Portland community-based collaboration funded through the EPA Urban Waters Program and led by the Oregon Operations Office, the EPA Office of Sustainable Communities provided technical assistance to the Jade District to develop community-based green infrastructure … Continued

Sustainable Models for Green Infrastructure Maintenance

October 9, 2017

This report on Sustainable Models for Green Infrastructure Maintenance in the Great Lakes Region summarizes the findings of a 2016 convening in Buffalo, NY of local government, land bank, sewer district, nonprofit, landscape, and community and workforce development professionals from … Continued

Failure to Act: the Economic Impact of Current Investment Trends in Water and Wastewater Treatment Infrastructure

August 22, 2017

This report, issued in 2011 by the American Society of CIvil Engineers (ASCE), provides an overview of existing water, sewer, and CSO infrastructure in the U.S., describes the “water and wastewater infrastructure gap”, addresses the differences in the condition and … Continued

The Economic Benefits of Investing in Water Infrastructure

August 22, 2017

This report makes an argument for funding the “water infrastructure gap,” showing that doing so would benefit the U.S. economy by netting $220 billion annually and supporting 1.3 million jobs. The Value of Water Campaign documents the number of jobs … Continued

Buried No Longer: Confronting America’s Water Infrastructure Challenge

August 22, 2017

Focusing on drinking water systems, this report documents the decay of water infrastructure in communities throughout the United States. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) argues that costs will continue to increase, at more cost to consumers, and documents regional … Continued

Race to Lead: Confronting the Nonprofit Racial Leadership Gap

July 21, 2017

To understand the causes of this disparity, the Building Movement Project conducted the Nonprofits, Leadership, and Race survey with over 4,000 respondents. The study found few differences between white and people of color (POC) respondents in their aspirations or preparation for leadership roles—in fact people of color are more likely to be interested in becoming a nonprofit leader than whites. Survey respondents identified Boards of Directors and executive recruiters as key barriers to the hiring of more people of color executive directors/CEOs.

An Equitable Water Future: a National Briefing Paper

July 20, 2017

This U.S. Water Alliance publication summarizes the overarching and regional challenges that demonstrate the need for more equitable approaches, then outlines the “three pillars of equity” based on USWA’s original research, as well as data from PolicyLink. The report goes … Continued

One Water Roadmap: The Sustainable Management of Life’s Most Essential Resource

July 19, 2017

“The idea of an integrated systems approach to water is not new. Its full-scale implementation, however, has yet to be realized. There are many signs that water management in the US is entering another great era of change and innovation. … Continued

Gentrification and Residential Mobility in Philadelphia

June 24, 2017

By focusing on Philadelphia and comparing this city’s mobility rates with other gentrification and displacement studies, it becomes evident that the effects of gentrification are extremely complex and can affect populations in a variety of ways depending on income level and other demographics.

Exploring the Green Infrastructure Workforce

June 9, 2017

This study was produced by Jobs for the Future (JFF) as part of NatureWORKS, a national initiative to understand the jobs, careers, skills, credentials, and potential of the U.S. green infrastructure workforce; and was funded by the U.S. Forest Service’s … Continued

Urban River Parkways–An Essential Tool for Public Health

April 20, 2016

Published by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, the report reviews the health benefits of bringing urban rivers back to being an essential element of urban living.

City Parks, Clean Water: Making Great Places Using Green Infrastructure

April 20, 2016

This Trust for Public Land study shines a light on the successes and challenges of water-smart public parks, providing case studies of cities across the country. The document looks at both the technologies and the political agreements necessary for using … Continued