The city will evaluate all buildings over 50,000 square feet and make the energy performance ratings and information easily accessible.

Chicago has launched a new Energy Rating System for the city’s larger buildings. "The buildings will be provided with placards illustrating their energy performance on a zero to four-star scale, which they are required to display on-site and report at the time of building sale or lease," reports Katie Pyzyk.
The program is a way to encourage building owners to explore strategies to boost the energy efficiency of buildings and to make information publicly available. "Large buildings are one of the most significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Chicago estimates buildings account for about 72% of the city's greenhouse gas emissions," notes Pyzyk.
Chicago’s Energy Rating System is part of a larger commitment to shift the city to renewable energy by 2035. Other plans include transitioning the Chicago Transit Authority’s bus fleet to electrification and decreasing the city’s overall emissions in accordance with goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.
FULL STORY: Chicago implements energy rating system for buildings

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Homicides rose across the nation in 2020 and 2021. But did they rise equally in all cities, or was the situation worse in some than in others?

The Shifting Boomer Bulge: More Bad News for America’s Housing Crisis?
In the first of a two-part series, PlaceMakers’ Ben Brown interviews housing guru Arthur C. Nelson on the sweeping demographic changes complicating the housing market.

A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts
Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.

Tolling All Lanes
Bay Area transportation planners are studying a radical idea to reduce traffic congestion and fund driving alternatives: tolling all lanes on a freeway. Even more radical, the plan considers tolling parallel roads.

Federal SMART Grants Awarded for Transportation Safety, Equity Projects
The grant program focuses on the use of technology to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency in transportation.

Fare Enforcement Upheld by Washington Supreme Court
But using armed police to enforce fare payment is less than ideal in the eyes of the top court in the state of Washington.
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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.
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