home.social

#landuse — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #landuse, aggregated by home.social.

  1. "Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

    Land prices are up 79% from last year.

    And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

    #USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
    ---
    cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-ce

  2. "Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

    Land prices are up 79% from last year.

    And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."


    ---
    cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-ce

  3. "Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

    Land prices are up 79% from last year.

    And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

    #USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
    ---
    cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-ce

  4. "Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

    Land prices are up 79% from last year.

    And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

    #USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
    ---
    cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-ce

  5. "Data centers represent 27% of development sites in the U.S. this year. It’s the second-highest category after apartment buildings..."

    Land prices are up 79% from last year.

    And "home builders cannot bid in that market, because a builder’s land budget is capped by what home buyers can afford. A data center operator faces no such constraint. The result is ... no homes at all."

    #USA #AI #DataCenters #LandUse #housing #farming
    ---
    cnbc.com/2026/09/06/ai-data-ce

  6. Impact Of Urbanization Driven Land Use And Land Cover Change On Ecological Environmental Quality In Rupandehi Nepal Assessed Using The Remote Sensing Ecological Index
    --
    doi.org/10.1007/s44288-026-006 <-- shared paper
    --
    kathmandupost.com/money/2026/0 <-- shared media article
    --
    H/T@ Gaurav Parajulim
    “[The authors] studied how the ecological quality of Nepal's Rupandehi District has changed over three decades (1993–2023), using satellite imagery and the Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) to track the health of the landscape year by year and to understand how urbanization-driven land use change has reshaped it.
    What [they] found tells a nuanced story: as Butwal and Bhairahawa grew and built-up land expanded, ecological quality shifted in ways that a single number can't capture, some areas recovered, others declined, and the patterns rarely moved in a straight line…”
    --
    “Rapid urbanization and population growth are major drivers of land use and land cover (LULC) change and can substantially alter ecological environmental quality (EEQ). This study assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of LULC and their effect on EEQ in Rupandehi District, Nepal, over a 30-year period (1993–2023). Four ecological indicators representing greenness, wetness, dryness, and heat were derived from Landsat imagery in Google Earth Engine (GEE), and LULC was classified using a Support Vector Machine (SVM). The Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) was then constructed from these indicators using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) in ArcGIS Pro, and its spatial structure was examined using global and local spatial autocorrelation. The mean RSEI followed a non-linear trajectory, rising from 0.59 in 1993 to 0.635 in 2004, declining to 0.55 in 2013, and recovering to 0.67 in 2023, indicating an overall improvement in EEQ with a temporary mid-period decline. Over the same period, built-up areas expanded substantially and agricultural land declined, whereas forest cover fluctuated but showed a slight net increase by 2023, and barren land decreased markedly. Higher EEQ was concentrated in the forested northern hills, while lower values occurred in the urban centers of Butwal and Bhairahawa, closely matching the spatial pattern of LULC change. The results indicate that ecological quality reflects the combined influence of all land cover classes rather than any single class. This study provides a transferable and reproducible workflow for long-term ecological assessment based on openly available Landsat data, with the analysis code shared in a public repository, offering practical guidance for sustainable land management and environmentally responsible urban development...”
    #GIS #spatial #mapping #RemoteSensing #GIS #RSEI #EnvironmentalMonitoring #Nepal #Research #GoogleEarthEngine #ArcGIS #EcologicalQuality #spatialautocorrelation #ecology #environment #earthobservation #RemoteSensingEcologicalIndex #landscape #urbanisation #urban #development #landuse #change #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal

  7. Busy Beavers - The Turbidity Signature Of Ecosystem Engineers At Work
    --
    doi.org/10.1002/hyp.70661 <-- shared paper
    --
    H/T @alan Puttock
    “Beavers are the quintessential ecosystem engineers. In slow-flowing streams, they create complex wetlands with ponds by building dams and canals that can positively impact biodiversity, hydrology and water quality. These activities can interchangeably capture or release sediment along the watercourse. To date this has not been quantified at the resolution of rainfall events or beaver activity. This study used 15-min frequency, sustained monitoring upstream and downstream of a newly establishing beaver wetland to measure episodic changes in water turbidity at an event resolution. Monitoring showed no significant differences between upstream and downstream turbidity over 160 days when the first pair of beavers, known not to be building dams or canals, were resident. Shortly after introduction of another beaver pair, however, dam building, burrows and canal excavations were quickly observed, resulting in the creation of a complex beaver wetland between 2021 and 2024. Monitoring over 375 days during this period showed significant differences. Downstream turbidity was significantly higher overall than upstream: 13.1 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) compared to 4.2 NTU. Stochastic spikes in downstream turbidity during the study period not recorded upstream were associated with dam building and burrowing. Overall, there was no significant difference in turbidity loads, which was at least partially explained by a reduction in discharge downstream, particularly in higher flows, during the dam building period. This demonstrates a complex system with the trapping of influent sediment, the storing of water and the periodic release of beaver wetland sediment leading to net balance in loads. These results help provide context for other studies which have used temporally discrete sampling campaigns rather than continuous high-frequency monitoring. They provide a unique insight into the downstream impacts of a rapidly developing beaver wetland over its first three and a half years in a landscape that hasn't had beavers for over 400 years…"
    #hydromorphic #water #hydrology #dam #beaverdam #waterquality #biodiversity #ecology #benefits #NatureBasedSolutions #Wetlands #Ecology #Biodiversity #EnvironmentalScience #Wildlife #Ecosystem #bioviversity #conservation #restoration #landscaperecovery #floodmanagement #FloodMitigation #flooding #energy #floodrisk #sustainability #wetlands #hydrography #dams #impoundment #deadwood #waterresources #landscapeengineer #benefits #vegetation #ecology #ecosystem #riversystemsstabilisation #naturalwaterregulation #resilience #valleysreborn #fisheries #invertebrates #extremeweather #floodflows #sediment #baseflow #drought #landmanagement #naturalsystems #landuse #monitoring #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal

  8. Provisional Land Use Data From Water Year 2024 Is Now Available On [CA]DWR Atlas, CNRA Open Data, And SGMA Data Viewer For Public Use
    --
    gis.water.ca.gov/app/CADWRLand <-- shared web-based CDWR datasets / map
    --
    “The collected data is used by various federal, state, and local agencies, academic researchers and private consultants , and can help estimate the amount of water available for agriculture. Using this information, farmers can adapt and make decisions to better manage scarce water supplies more effectively.”
    #GIS #spatial #mapping #California #download #opendata #water #hydrology #datause #datasharing #download #landuse #spatialanalysis #spatiotemporal #wateryear #DWRAtlas #statewide #CNRA #SGMA #publicdata #publicgood #usecase #crops #croplands #cropmapping #counties #countysurvey #CADWR #DWR #groundwater #irrigation #wateruse #watermanagement #federal #state #local #webmapping #agriculture #watersecurity #foodsecurity #watersupply
    #CaliforniaDepartmentOfWaterResources

  9. Diversion Channels vs. Climate Change: Will Five Cities’ Flood Protection Strategy Be Enough?

    Many of those reading this post may recall scenes from the disastrous floods that took place along the Red River of the North in 1997, 2009, and 2011. Cities like Fargo and Grand Forks, North Dakota were severely impacted by floodwaters due to snowmelt and ice jams along that northward flowing river. Further north along the same river, in Manitoba, Winnipeg has dealt with significant flooding on multiple occasions.

    Fargo flooding in 2011 – Source: wsj.com

    Part of the problem along this particular river valley is there is very little topographical change in this area, so when river levels run high, the floodwaters spread out far and wide across the northern prairie landscape. The limited grade change also tends to slow the speed of the river’s flow, which can add to the backup.

    Tragic water and fire damage to downtown Grand Forks from 1997 flood – Source: grandforksherald.com

    To address these costly and dangerous flooding problems along the Red River of the North, both Winnipeg and Grand Forks have developed enormous flood diversion channels around their urban area. Meanwhile, Fargo is close to completing its diversion channel. These three diversion systems are discussed below followed by other diversion channel programs established in Wichita, Kansas and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    Red River FloodwayWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada = 29 mile diversion channel

    • Completed in 1968 for $63 million and enlargement completed in 2010 for $665 million
    • Designated a National Historic Site in 2000
    • Capacity of 140,000 cubic feet per second
    • 2.7 billion cubic feet of Earth moved (more than the Suez Canal)
    Source: https://legacy.csce.ca/

    ——-

    English Coulee Diversion ChannelGrand Forks, ND, USA = 13 mile diversion channel for English Coulee and 8 miles of flood walls/levees along the Red River of the North

    • The diversion channel for English Coulee bypassing Grand Forks was completed in 1990. Unfortunately, increasing the height of flood walls and levees was not completed until 2007.
    • Total project cost was $409 million including the flood walls and levees on the Red River of the North.
    • Flood protection was raised from 50 feet to 60 feet.
    • Flood/stormwaters can be also pumped to the diversion channel from the city — up to 112,000 gallons per minute (= 250 cubic feet per second).
    • Twenty miles of greenways trails
    Source: swc.nd.gov Segment of Grand Forks Flood Wall – Source: grandforksgov.com

    ——-

    Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion ProjectFargo, ND/Moorhead, MN, USA = 30 mile diversion channel and 22 mile earthen embankment at the southern end of the complex

    • To be completed in 2027 for $3.2 billion
    • The Red River has reached flood stage in Fargo 60 times since 1902, including every single year between 1993 and 2011.
    • Designed to withstand a 100-year flood and provide fightable protection against a 500-year flood.
    • Capacity of 20,000 cubic feet per second.
    • Other features will include levees, flood walls, stormwater lift stations, road improvements including raising grades, upstream mitigation, wetland mitigation, river restoration, a bike/walking trail, and related flood control projects in outer communities and in nearby Minnesota.
    Source: fmdiversion.gov

    ——-

    Further to the south, Wichita, Kansas has faced similar issues with flooding from the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers. To limit future damage to life and property in the city, an enormous flood diversion project was completed here in 1959. This diversion channel is very visible to drivers along Interstate 235 around the west side of the city.

    Wichita-Valley Center FloodwayWichita, KS, USA = 18 mile diversion channel

    • Completed in 1959 for $20 million
    • Includes 50 miles of connecting channels, 100 miles of levees, and 150 control structures.
    • The diversion channel has a flood carrying capacity twice that of the Arkansas River itself, while the Little Arkansas River portion around the town of Valley Center has a capacity of 55,000 cubic feet per second.
    Source: library.municode.com

    ——–

    In an altogether different context, Albuquerque, New Mexico can also face quick and devastating floods, but not from a flat terrain. Instead, the threat here is threefold – rapid snowmelt from the abutting Sandia Mountains flowing down into the city and the valley combined with urban stormwater runoff and heavy summer monsoon-season rains (yes, we have a monsoon season here) overwhelming the natural arroyos and dry stream beds. In Albuquerque, a network of diversion channels has been developed, with two primary ones (the North and South Diversion Channels) being the largest collectors and distributors of stormwater and floodwaters from natural arroyos and human made/enhanced channels.

    Monsoon season storm over Albuquerque – Source: flickr.com

    North Diversion ChannelAlbuquerque, NM, USA = 8.7 miles

    • Completed in 1969 at a cost of $20.3 million
    • Capacity of 44,000 cubic feet per second ~ equivalent to a 500-year flood event
    • Collects flood/storm waters from 50 square miles and discharges it into the Rio Grande
    • A bicycle/pedestrian trail runs along the top of the channel for its entire length.
    • Passes through the heart of the city instead of around it.
    North Diversion Channel outlet – Source: amafca.org North Diversion Channel (in blue on the left side) – Source amafca.org

    South Diversion ChannelAlbuquerque, NM, USA ~ 5.5 miles

    • Completed in 1972 at a cost of $8.3 million and discharges into the Rio Grande
    • A bicycle/pedestrian trail runs along the top of the channel for much of its length.
    South Diversion Channel (blue in center) – Source: amafca.org

    ——-

    As these five examples show, there are viable options for protecting life, limb, and property from devastating floods in urban areas. That being said, as the Earth’s climate continues to become warmer, bringing with it heavier rainfalls and stronger storms, even these diversion channels and their associated infrastructure may become overwhelmed by future weather events.

    Source: climateactiontracker.org

    Therefore, addressing only the after-the-fact results of storms will not protect our communities as long as climate change is allowed to continue on its current trajectory. Humankind must also address the root causes of climate change, including the impacts we create by our individual and collective actions and activities. This includes making hard choices…frankly choices that highly-developed First World countries like the United States too often avoid making.

    Furthermore, when nations ignore climate reality, these five cities, let alone many others across the planet, will need to upgrade their flood defenses over and over again. In this era of climate change, such efforts will not and cannot solve the problem alone. Humanity must find the “sustainable willpower” to effectively address climate change for the long term. In the end, future generations will be grateful that we did.

    Peace!

    #albuquerque #cities #climateChange #diversionChannels #environment #fargo #flooding #floodplain #floods #geography #grandForks #history #infrastructure #landUse #monsoonSeason #planning #rivers #stormwater #wichita #winnipeg

  10. Folks in England, you can reply to the government consultation on land use. This is an important opportunity to advocate for rewilding, increasing transparency into land ownership, banning destructive practices like driven grouse shooting and burning moors, and more.

    You can respond as an individual or on behalf of an organisation until April 25.

    My responses, which you are free to use or adapt, are here: resilienceweb.org.uk/news/land

    #landuse #publicconsultation

  11. Where do we go from here?

    Unlike the Cowichan River, the #Koksilah is an uncontrolled #river with no storage and as such, there are limited options available to manage flows. The only options available to us are to change our current practices around #LandUse and #WaterUse. Most importantly, the #KoksilahRiver is challenging all of us to work together to collaboratively identify and implement solutions that will impact us all. New collaborations and partnerships are emerging.

    An informal “Koksilah #DroughtManagement team” has been formed to discuss how to collaboratively make short term in-season decisions and work with water users to navigate periods of low flow. This ad-hoc group is comprised of representatives from #FLNRORD, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Cowichan Station’s Koksilah Working Group, BC Dairy Association, BC Agriculture Council, Cowichan Watershed Board, Farmland Advantage, Water Survey of Canada, Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre and private forestry representatives.

    In the longer term, an innovative government to government partnership has been struck between Cowichan Tribes and the FNLRORD to explore and scope the feasibility of initiating a joint #WaterSustainability Planning process, an innovative new tool under #BCWaterSustainabilityAct (2016).

    For more information about the potential of Water Sustainability Plans, see Curran, D. and O.M. Brandes. 2019 Water Sustainability Plans: Potential, Options and Essential Content (2019) by Deborah Curran and Oliver M. Brandes, University of Victoria Environmental Law Centre and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance.

    poliswaterproject.org/polis-re

    "As one element in the modernized provincial water regime, Water Sustainability Plans are a promising tool that can enable and enhance adaptive water management and new governance relationships that express core elements of government-to-government relationships for water and watersheds, as well as address the challenges of environmental flows, sustainable groundwater management, drought planning and protecting and enhancing watershed health."

    Deborah Curran & Oliver M. Brandes
    Water Sustainability Plans: Potential, Options and Essential Content (2019)

    #BackroadAdventures #VancouverIsland #water #river #Shawnigan #DayAdventure #DayTrip #PacificNorthwest #ProtectWatersheds #nature #VanIsle #Cascadia #PNW #NaturesPower #WaterIsLife #ProtectWatersheds #ProtectNature #Hydro #RiversOfBC #RiversOfVancouverIsland #Indigenous #FirstNations #Historical #Cowichan #WaterFlow #RiverFlows #HydrologyManagement

  12. Thanks to @jp4all for doing a great action network alert and having such a positive message and great art on your website and for @ShareTheCities for hosting the action form.

    #Seattle #LandUse #Trees #Urbanism #StationAreaPlanning #TransitOrientedDevelopment #Parks4All #RenameJacksonPark #GreenCities #GreenZoning #Future

    Follow them now!!!

    Let folks in #Shoreline know their voices are needed, too!