iUTAH Team - Graduate Research Assistant

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PHILIP STOKER

University of Utah

 

Research Topic

Wasatch Water Use 2040

 

iUTAH Research Focus Area

RFA2

 

Faculty Advisor

Reid Ewing, Sarah Null, Court Strong

 

Abstract

The population of the Wasatch Front will grow to nearly four million people by 2040, about 1.5 million more than in 2010. Anticipating this growth, regional planners and the public crafted a long-term vision for growth called “Wasatch Choice for 2040.†While this vision provides a preferred vision for growth in the region, there has been no analysis of how water resources will be impacted by different growth scenarios. This study will develop and validate water demand models that examine the effects of urban form, climate, and demographics on water use. Using these models, different growth scenarios will be evaluated, including a trend scenario, the Wasatch Choice for 2040 scenario, and an even more compact scenario development scenario. Results will be shared through interviews with stakeholders and experts to generate refinements to Wasatch Choice 2040, which will keep water use from exceeding available supplies.

 

Biography

Philip is a PhD student in the Department of City and Metropolitan Planning at the University of Utah and is very excited to be working with the iUTAH research team. Philip received a Master of Resource Management from Simon Fraser University (Vancouver, BC), where he researched sustainable cruise ship tourism, the social impacts of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, and protected area management. While attending the University of Redlands in southern California, Philip conducted research on coyote habitat use in the Joshua Tree National Park that was recently published in the Southwestern Naturalist. Philip also had the opportunity to investigate community perceptions of wildlife tourism in Kenya. His current research includes urban water use, pedestrian safety, and the impact of jobs-housing balance on home values.

 

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