Architects, builders and preservationists met in Pittsburgh to discuss ways to get federal guidelines for historic structures to play nice with green building principles.
"Many old structures might be restored and preserved in accordance with federal historic standards. And new buildings can be constructed to adhere to increasingly popular "green building" norms.
But melding those principles is an increasingly intriguing concept for architects and preservationists, one that has been done in Pittsburgh but remains challenging because of conflicting and, in some cases, nonexistent criteria."
" 'It's not easy to certify a historic building' as a green structure, said Cathy McCollom, program director at the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation, which with the South Side-based Green Building Alliance organized the summit. 'But what's more green than using an existing structure? You don't fill a landfill by throwing away brick and wood.' "
FULL STORY: Preservation, 'green building' hit historic wall

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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