{"id":1075,"date":"2012-03-06T08:16:29","date_gmt":"2012-03-06T15:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.interculturalurbanism.com\/?p=1075"},"modified":"2012-04-19T07:29:08","modified_gmt":"2012-04-19T13:29:08","slug":"water-and-the-wilderness-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.interculturalurbanism.com\/?p=1075","title":{"rendered":"Water and The Wilderness City"},"content":{"rendered":"

My title comes from that of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute\u2019s<\/a> 21st<\/sup> annual conference held last week at The University of Denver\u2019s Sturm College of Law.\u00a0 \u201cThe Wilderness City: Nature, Culture, and Economy in the Next West<\/a>\u201d was framed in terms of the \u00a0following theme:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Rocky Mountain West is characterized by majestic peaks, rolling prairies, rugged plains and vast open spaces. At the same time, the West is home to rapidly growing cities like Denver, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Boise, as well as countless small towns trying to remain viable in an increasingly urbanizing region. Interestingly, as urban centers continue to grow, they are seeking to reconnect their local cultures and economies to what remains of their native ecology\u2026\u201cWilderness Cities\u201d like Vancouver, Canada blend the wild and the urban seamlessly, with skyscrapers and industry nestled up against rain forests, killer whales and coastal mountains. How can a Wilderness City model and other \u201cgreen\u201d development approaches not only make Western communities vibrant economic centers but also strengthen our connection with the land?<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

My schedule permitted attending the conference for just one day. I went to two sessions on water that were relevant to an\u00a0Institute for Enterprise Ethics research grant<\/a>\u00a0that I have with colleagues in DU’s Daniels College of Business.\u00a0 The theme for the water sessions was pitched pretty simply:<\/p>\n

The Rocky Mountain West is one of the fastest growing areas of the country and one of the driest. These sessions address the challenges municipalities and regions will face in meeting the challenges of water supply and demand.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The first session was called \u201cWater and Growth: Can We Wrestle With the Paradox?\u201d The paradox in question derives from the fact that growth is necessary to ensure the economic viability of western cities, but this inevitably raises the specter of water shortages.\u00a0\u00a0 The panel brought together water supply and built environment planners in a dialogue about whether the \u00a0paradox can be solved.\u00a0 \u00a0The second session was called \u201cWater Conservation in West: The New Normal.\u201d\u00a0 Speakers addressed the institutional and practical needs for water conservation in the Western United States. \u00a0They identified various techniques being implemented to conserve and reuse water resources, and considered the evolving regulations for water conservation from both land use and water rights perspectives.<\/p>\n

Some of the key takeaway messages of the sessions, considered together:<\/p>\n