Addressing water scarcity as both a technical and social matter

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    Project entry 2014 North America – Divining LA: Digital tool for urban design and water-use planning, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Divining LA tool prototype: mobile app demonstration, high-resolution stormwater runoff assessment.

Using multi-spectral satellite imagery, digital terrain models, and geotechnical datasets, Divining LA is a digital tool for urban design in water stressed environments, applied to the city of Los Angeles. It models precipitation, soil quality, land use, and groundwater contamination in a dynamic, publicly-accessible instrument for architects, landscape designers, and planners. It aims to maximize low-carbon localized water supply, reduce dependence on water imports, and to guide water-smart planning. 

Last updated: June 29, 2015 Los Angeles, CA, USA

Using multi-spectral satellite imagery, digital terrain models, and geotechnical datasets, Divining LA is a digital tool for urban design in water stressed environments, applied to the city of Los Angeles. It models precipitation, soil quality, land use, and groundwater contamination in a dynamic, publicly-accessible instrument for architects, landscape designers, and planners. It aims to maximize low-carbon localized water supply, reduce dependence on water imports, and to guide water-smart planning.

Providing information on zoning and building policy, the information-based script supports site assessment for public and private investment. Led by the Arid Lands Institute, the tool is produced in collaboration with agencies and universities across the city, with applications worldwide.

Read project feature in 4th Holcim Awards 2014/2015 (flip-book)