One important planning approach for sustainable living is how to locate and integrate the natural and man-made attributes of the land to configure a low-carbon site for large scale development.
Energy Efficiency
The Historic Costs of Going Green
Preservationists say a new California law that requires new construction to meet stringent green building standards could encourage demolition of historically significant buildings.
NPR
Government Plans Vertical Garden on Portland Skyscraper
As part of a $133 million renovation of a federal building in Portland, the Government Services Administration plans to add 200-foot high "vegetated fins" that will carpet the building with plants and - hopefully - energy savings.
New York Times
Environmental Groups Look to Block Green Building Code
California is on the verge of approving the country's first state green building code, but some environmental groups are trying to stop it, arguing the code does not go far enough.
Los Angeles Times
Denmark's Energy Efficient Poster Child
The Danish island of Samso is the poster child of clean energy. Its residents generate more energy than they consume. Now the Danish government wants to export that model back to the mainland.
Der Spiegel
The World's 'Greenest' City by 2020
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has announced a ten-point plan to turn his city in the greenest in the world by 2020.
The Vancouver Sun
Buildings That Are Green But Not Energy-Efficient
LEED-certified buildings may be constructed with little energy, but some are just as energy-intensive as non "green" buildings once they're in use. This disconnect is prompting the U.S. Green Building Council to change its rules.
The New York Times
Incentives for Energy Efficiency Expanding
The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal Housing Administration are looking to increase energy efficiency incentives for homeowners, including opportunities for larger home loans.
Los Angeles Times
Building Codes: Most Important Aspect of Climate Bill
Architect Edward Mazria looks at the climate bill heading to the Senate for approval and argues that its most important part is the section on building energy codes, which he calls "more powerful than 100 nuclear plants".
Grist
Obama's Weatherization Program in Action
Van Jones tours a weatherization project in D.C., part of the $5 billion the Obama Administration is putting into weatherization projects to cut energy costs. (VIDEO)
WhiteHouse.gov
Community Energy Planning and the Stimulus -- Take a Time Out!
Stimulus money is available for a variety of energy efficiency projects, but many understaffed cities are having trouble meeting the impending deadlines. Jessica Millman, Joe Schilling, and Kathryn McCarty have found a loophole that can help.
Forget Cars: Houses Are The Real Problem
The act of running and building our homes is responsible for almost half of the U.S.'s carbon footprint. GOOD Magazine asks, so why are we so obsessed with making cars sustainable instead of homes?
GOOD Magazine
Can Older Houses be Energy Efficient?
We don't need to build new energy efficient homes as much as we need to refurbish the existing housing stock to make it more energy efficient, writes Richard Moe of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
New York Times
Firestorm Over Anti-Green Building Report
A study released last week by NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association, concluded that green standards were not financially feasible for Class A office buildings. Not so, experts say.
CoStar Group News
Building Codes Gone Green
From Boston to Austin to L.A., more and more cities across the U.S. are making efforts to reduce their carbon emissions and environmental impact by instituting green building codes.
Governing
Houston Lights go LED
The city of Houston moves to convert all the bulbs at its traffic stops to LEDs, aiming to save energy and money.
Houston Chronicle
Greener London Ahead
The mayor of London has announced plans to make the city greener than ever. He stated that opportunities abounded not just for emissions reduction, but for green job creation as well.
Guardian (UK)
The Future Homes of Post-Crash America
Just as good economic times pushed housing sizes to mansion-like proportions, the downturn in the economy will force builders and consumers to size down and get energy efficient, according to this commentary from James S. Russell.
Bloomberg
Snow Forces City To Conserve
An avalanche decimates an Alaskan city's energy infrastructure, leading residents to craft creative ways to conserve energy and lower their utility bills.
The Next American City
County Requires All New Homes To Be Green
All new homes in Montgomery County, Maryland, will be required to comply with environmental and energy-efficiency standards.
The Washington Post
Planetizen picks
Contribute
- How Much Would You Pay?
- Higher Fees Drive Developers to Outskirts
- Embracing Entrepreneurship to Revive Cleveland
- Replacing Empty Storefronts With Fake Ones
- Forecasting the New American Economy
- Finding Ways to Create "Emerald Necklaces" in Built-Out Cities
- The Urban Farms of New York
- Introducing the "Parklet"
- Israeli Housing Plan Draws Ire of Peace Negotiators
- Waterfront Rail Plans Advance in Philadelphia
Conventional Planning May Be Contributing to Cleveland's Decline -- Samuel Staley
Inside the City of RVs -- Nate Berg
Parking Policy Reform More Important Than LEED Certification -- Todd Litman
Exploring Web 2.0 in Urban Planning -- Chris Steins
Sprawl In Canada and the U.S.: A Comparison -- Michael Lewyn
FREE Upcoming IEDC Webinar: Carbon Cap and Trade and Economic Development
International Economic Development Council
Mar 18, 2010
Baltimore & New Orleans Select INDEX for Regional Visioning Support
Criterion Planners
Mar 18, 2010
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