In an era where cities all over the world are allowing larger and taller wood-framed buildings, the city of Sandy Springs just approved sweeping limitations on the construction practice.
"Over the objections of the wood products industry, the Sandy Springs City Council has approved a building code change to prohibit wood-framed construction for future buildings taller than three stories and larger than 100,000 square feet," reports David Ibata.
"Supporters of the change cited safety issues, as well as matters of quality, durability and longevity of buildings in turning to steel and masonry," according to Ibata. Objectors include the American Wood Council and Georgia Forestry Association.
Writing for Construction Dive, a construction industry newsletter, Kim Slowey surveys the world for examples of the construction industry finding new, larger-scale uses for wood construction. We at Planetizen have noted the example of Toronto, Ontario, which relaxed its wood-framed building standards to allow for buildings up to six stories high. Paris, France approved a wood-framed building that will reach 35 stories high back in 2015. The T3 project in Minneapolis targets a height of seven stories. The latter project is nearing completion, as is visible on its very own live feed construction camera.
Slowey finds examples from Stockholm, Sweden, and London, U.K, of approved projects that will push the boundaries of previous wood-framed buildings. In the United States, according to Slowey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsored the U.S. Tall Wood Building Competition last year.
An article by Ely Portillo for The Charlotte Observer digs more into the implication of the actions of the Sandy Springs City Council by imagining the consequences if the city of Charlotte were to approve similar regulations. If the city of Charlotte instituted the same regulations, writes Portillo, it "would effectively exclude most of the new apartments under construction...except for uptown high rises built with concrete and steel."
FULL STORY: Sandy Springs bars wood framing in mid-rise construction
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.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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.