In announcing a new initiative led by ULI and the Greenprint Foundation, Ed McMahon looks at the disconnect between politicians and the marketplace in the debate around climate change and U.S. energy policy.
When Congress recently passed a measure barring the U.S. Department of Energy from enforcing a ban on incandescent lightbulbs one of its major opponents was the lighting industry.
In December, Maine Governor Paul Le Page, a member of the Tea Party, signed an executive order banning the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building standards in state-owned buildings. However many of the state's top companies and institutions have already constructed high-performance buildings utilizing LEED standards.
Anyone see a disconnect? Ed McMahon, writing in Urban Land does:
"The U.S. Congress has done virtually nothing to address the growing problems of climate change and energy consumption, but industry is not waiting for the politicians. Whether it is the lighting industry or the real estate industry, successful companies have realized that going green makes both business and environmental sense. In the future, it seems certain that the market will ultimately favor the greenest buildings in the greenest locations in the greenest cities."
FULL STORY: The Greening of the Real Estate Industry

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.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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