City Beautiful
@citybeautiful·740K subscribers·204 videos
How Data Centers Avoid Local Planning
Posted
July 29, 2026
Views
13,521
Likes
968
Comments
153
Engagement
8.29%
July 29, 2026
13,521
968
153
8.29%
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Tech companies are building hundreds of massive data centers in communities around the US. Planners have to grapple with the impacts (power, water, noise) those data centers cause. How do they do it? And should they stop it?
# Resources mentioned in this video
This video was inspired by a great article in the Journal of the American Planning Association by Justin Kollar Planning Under PreemptionState Power and Local Authority in the AI Data Center Era
Pew ResearchMost New Data Centers in the US Are Coming to Rural Areas
BrookingsAI Data Centers and Watertypical data center uses,of up to 50%2C000 residents
Lincoln InstituteWater Impacts and Data Centers
The GuardianMonterey Park, California Data Center Ban
Mountain State SpotlightLawmakers Strip Local Authorities of Data Centers
Produced by Dave Amos and the fine folks at Nebula Studios.
Written by Dave Amos.
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