Five years after San Francisco hired its first sustainability director for the city's school system, the controversial decision is paying off in environmental benefits and substantial energy savings.
"There were more than a few skeptics when San Francisco city officials foisted an environmental guru on the school district five years ago," writes Jill Tucker. "But now, with some results to look at, it appears the guru gambit wasn't a mistake."
Initiatives led by Nik Kaestner such as a tree-planting campaign, introducing water bottle refilling stations and getting teachers to better manage the temperature of their rooms have produced environmental and cost benefits. "In the 2011-12 academic year, city schools saved $363,000 in energy costs compared with the year before - about an 8 percent reduction overall. And in 2012-13, as of June, schools had already saved $455,000 over the prior year."
"Still, despite the cost savings, some question whether the district needs to pay someone's salary to make those arguments, especially since it reduces the amount the district would get to pay for extras like art and physical education needs, which is what Proposition H generally funds," notes Tucker.
FULL STORY: S.F. schools gambit on green guru pays off

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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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.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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