San Jose City Hall is a marvel in green building -- so why hasn't it applied to become LEED certified?
"Despite the structure's striking design and the architect's sensitivity and response to local climatic conditions, San Jose chose not to apply for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for its most prominent civic institution. All this, despite the city council's own policy, adopted in 2001, requiring all municipal buildings larger than 10,000 sf to meet a standard of LEED Certified.
...Why did San Jose’s municipal leaders turn their backs on LEED? And what does their action say about the viability of the LEED program as it moves into its sixth year? Before we get to those issues, let’s look at what the Building Team -- the Los Angeles office of Richard Meier & Partners; structural engineer Englekirk & Sabol, Los Angeles; MEP engineer Arup, Los Angeles office; and the contractor Turner Devcon -- achieved."
FULL STORY: San Jose's Richard Meier-designed City Hall: TO LEED, OR NOT TO LEED?
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
