Transforming Urban Landscapes to Reduce Outdoor Water Use in Colorado, April 2025

This presentation will bring insights from recently released Colorado State-of-the-Science report, highlighting the importance of collaborative efforts to reduce outdoor municipal water use through transformative landscape change that maintains vibrant communities. Topics will include the strength of systems thinking, joint land use planning, balancing ecosystem benefits, setting realistic expectations, targeting water use inefficiencies, and prioritizing behavioral change. The presentation will help unpack urban landscapes' complex and nuanced nature and offer lessons learned from ongoing turf replacement and related initiatives in Colorado.