Joanne Richardson

Detail of 'Otokaheya' (In the Beginning), quilted fabric, Gwen Westerman, artist. Image courtesy of the artist.

FeatureJuly 28, 2016

Depicting the Power of Water in Art and Poetry

Open Rivers guest editors Nenette Luarca-Shoaf and Laura Turner Igoe contacted Gwen Westerman, professor, visual artist, and an enrolled member of the Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota Oyate.

This trails closed sign warns of wet conditions at Cedar Hill State Park southwest of Dallas were closed Sunday, July 1, 2007. Forecasters said rain was expected to continue in parts of Texas for at least the next 10 days. Weeks of heavy rains have dampened recreational activities across Texas, slowing business at parks and tourist destinations and leaving campsites and hiking trails waterlogged.

The PulseJuly 12, 2016

For African Americans, Park Access Is About More Than Just Proximity

By Brentin Mock

There are many ways to measure park access, but we also need to make a better accounting for the role of historical patterns of racial discrimination. This article examines a case study in Texas.

Citylab

Environmental Justice Planning / Policy Research United States

A photo of a farm with a large mound of soil in the distance.

The PulseJuly 5, 2016

Nestlé, Phoenix water, and the bicycle shed problem

By John Fleck

Water writer John Fleck explains how the proposed Nestle bottling plant in Phoenix is a “bicycle shed” problem, or: “How We Distract Ourselves from Complex Critical Problems By Attacking What We Think We Know About.”

Inkstain

North America Planning / Policy Policy

A solar panel on the roof of a Parisian building. Notre Dame is in the background.

The PulseJune 28, 2016

Towards the Water-Sensitive City

By Gary Grant

With changing climate, demographic patterns, and increasing urban concentration, cities will have to become more “water sensitive” than ever before. This short essay offers some tips.

The Nature of Cities

Civil Engineering International Landscape Architecture Planning / Policy Policy

The PulseJune 21, 2016

Tricks in a Cartographer’s Toolkit

By Lauren Young

We are practically drowning in data, and images/maps offer great ways to convey a lot of data at once. Here are 10 “tricks of the trade” for telling stories with maps.

Atlas Obscura

Education Engagement Geography

The PulseJune 15, 2016

Minnesota Humanities Center

By Staff

The Minnesota Humanities Center, in collaboration with a number of state, local, and federal partners, opens “We Are Water MN” in June 2016. The exhibition and program will travel to six Minnesota communities before closing in April 2017.

Minnesota Humanities Center

Education Engagement Minnesota Public Programs

A child stands in a shallow stream with a small waterfall behind them.

The PulseJune 7, 2016

Sharing the Power in Minnesota Water Stories

By Staff

The Minnesota Humanities Center, in collaboration with a number of state, local, and federal partners, opens “We Are Water MN” in June 2016. The exhibition and program will travel to six Minnesota communities before closing in April 2017.

Minnesota Humanities Center

Education Engagement Minnesota Public Programs

A woman holds up two water bottles full of contaminated water from Flint, Michigan.

The PulseMay 31, 2016

A Bibliography for Teaching Flint

By Max Liboiron

The water crisis in Flint MI grabbed the attention of many scholars and teachers last year. Here is a list of materials that might help bring the ongoing crisis into the curriculum of varied disciplines.

Discard Studies

Education Environmental Justice Planning / Policy United States

A stream flows through some grasslands. A drainage pipe flows into the stream.

The PulseMay 25, 2016

Should farmers or city pay to clean the water? Iowa may decide

By Clay Masters

The legal case described here could be pivotal for agriculture-clean water conversations going forward. The City of Des Moines IA has filed suit against upstream counties because of increased water purification costs associated with ag chemicals.

MPR

Legal Mississippi River Basin Planning / Policy Policy

A passenger boat sails towards the Aerial bridge in Duluth, Minnesota.

The PulseApril 25, 2016

Thirsty cities begin to eye water from the Great Lakes

By Josephine Marcotty

The binational, multi-state Great Lakes Compact prohibits the transfer of water from the Great Lakes for purposes outside the watershed. Waukesha, a suburb of Milwaukee, WI, has requested water from Lake Michigan, the first test of whether the Compact will fulfill its goals.

Star Tribune

Legal Planning / Policy Policy United States