The Atlas is social network for city officials and staff, providing, among other valuable resources, a searchable database of innovative city-level case studies on water, city planning and financing. Through its members section, The Atlas provides space for members to share successes, learn what’s working in other cities, and build relationships that can help city-level leaders craft new solutions.
Like so many smart new initiatives, The Atlas was born from city leaders getting together to solve local challenges. After leaving government service in 2013, The Atlas co-founders worked with 8 cities to pursue infrastructure innovations as a part of a large philanthropic effort. It became obvious that cities needed a safe place online to share, learn and build relationships.
One of the most useful tools available on The Atlas is a searchable database of nearly 500 case studies focused on innovative sustainability initiatives in water, city planning, and financing. WaterNow members will be proud to see that several case studies highlight the incredible work of WaterNow members:
- Santa Fe Water Division’s culture of conservation,
- Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s use of green infrastructure to combat CSOs,
- Madison Water Utility’s replacement of 8K lead service lines, and
- San Antonio Water System’s conservation measures that resulted in a nearly 50% reduction in water usage.
Thanks to our new partnership, all WaterNow members will have access to The Atlas’s local government-only space. This is where you can search for case studies, post questions, send/receive direct messages and follow topics and trends in local government and sustainability, including drought, complete streets, renewables and much more. We’ll be sharing additional resources as our partnership puts down roots and furthers our shared goal of sustainable cities.