This a book about the legal system in the Golden State. California’s economy, on a global scale, is large enough to constitute the fifth largest national economy. The City of Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area are the second and fourth largest population centers in the U.S., respectively. They are also among the fastest growing regions in the nation. The State of California spends billions of dollars on infrastructure projects. For example, the California Department of Transportation (“CalTrans”) has more than 23,000 employees with a budget of $14.7 billion — up more than 50% from 2017-2018. CalTrans will repair or repave more than 17,000 miles of road surfaces in the next eight years, as well as fix 500 bridges and 55,000 culverts. This book is dedicated to architects, engineers, contractors, suppliers, elected public officials and ordinary citizens who want these infrastructure projects to be built legally, economically and safely.

Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas, turns his artful yet analytical attention to the Golden State's single most complex and controversial resource: water. In this new book, full-color maps unravel the braided knot of California's water infrastructure and ecosystems, exposing a history of unlimited growth in spite of finite natural resources--a history that has led to its current precarious circumstances. Yet this built world depends upon the biosphere, and in The State of Water Kaufmann argues that environmental conservation and restoration efforts are necessary not only for ethical reasons but also as a matter of human survival. Offering nine perspectives to illustrate the most pressing challenges facing California's water infrastructure, from dams to species revitalization, Kaufmann reveals pragmatic yet inspiring solutions to how water in the West can continue to support agriculture, municipalities, and the environment. Interspersed throughout with trail paintings of animals that might yet survive under a caring and careful water ethic, Kaufmann shows how California can usher in a new era of responsible water conservation, and--perhaps most importantly--how we may do so together.

The central role of infrastructure to cities, and in particular their sustainability, is essential for proper planning and design since most energy and materials are themselves consumed by or through infrastructures. Moreover, infrastructures of all types affect matters of economic and social equity, due to access that they provide or prevent. Sustainable Infrastructure for Cities and Societies shows how fundamental planning, design, finance, and governance principles can be adapted for sustainable infrastructure to provide solutions to make cities significantly more sustainable. By providing a contemporary overview on infrastructure, cities, planning, economies, and sustainability, the book addresses how to plan, design, finance, and manage infrastructure in ways that reduce consumption and harmful impacts while maintaining and improving life quality. It considers the interrelationships between the economic, political, societal, and institutional frameworks, providing an integrative approach including livability and sustainability, principles and practice, and planning and design. It further translates these approaches that professionals, policymakers, and leaders can use. This approach gives the book wide appeal for students, researchers, and practitioners hoping to build a more sustainable world.

The nation's physical infrastructure consists of a broad array of systems and facilities that house and transport people and goods and provide services. Among other things, this infrastructure includes transportation networks, including roads, airports, rail, and mass transit; housing; federal buildings and facilities; and postal and telecommunications services. These systems and facilities do not exist in isolation: decisions about where to build or expand roads affect decisions about housing and vice versa, and, in turn, these decisions affect the need for and location of public facilities and communications and energy services. Historically, the federal government has supported the construction of much of this infrastructure and helped to ensure the safety of services it provides. It builds, owns, operates, and maintains federal infrastructure such as federal buildings, dams, and waterways; financially assists state and local governments to build, own, operate, and maintain facilities such as roads, transit systems, and airports; and regulates public works. State and local governments and the private sector also play significant roles in planning, developing, and maintaining this infrastructure.