The Willis Tower in Chicago, once the tallest building in the world, is still making history in superlative terms.
The 110-story Willis Tower, the largest building in the U.S. to have earned LEED Platinum certification, "will be powered with 100 percent renewable energy through a multi-year partnership with Texas-based Dynergy," reports Anca Gagiuc.
"The skyscraper, part of EQ Office—a U.S. office portfolio company owned by Blackstone’s real estate funds—will have electricity sourced from wind parks via renewable energy credits, while keeping costs to tenants consistent," explains Gagiuc of the specifics of the tower's renewable energy plan.
The Willis Tower is underway with a $500 million renovation that resulted in the LEED Platinum designation, according to an article written by Jeff Hamann in December 2019 that documents the green building improvements added during the renovation. The renovation produced a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption for the building, according to Gagiuc.
Although the renovation was planned for completion early in 2020, the progress of the renovation was still being documented on the Internet by photos taken at the beginning of September.
The renovation is creating a new retail, dining, and entertainment destination at the base of Willis Tower, according to earlier reporting by Jay Koziarz.
FULL STORY: Willis Tower to Run on Wind Power
Major Milestone for Chicago-Area Land Bank
The Cook County Land Bank Authority recently participated in its 500th rehab project. Homeowners and entrepreneurs have benefitted along the way.
New Energy Rating System for Chicago Buildings
The city will evaluate all buildings over 50,000 square feet and make the energy performance ratings and information easily accessible.
Chicago Sets Goal for 100 Percent Clean Energy by 2040
A non-binding resolution is a small step in the direction of clean energy.
The YIMBY-NIMBY Debate Gets 'Uninteresting'
Labels like "YIMBY" and "NIMBY" may be crude—but so what? One of them wants to solve America's housing crises. The other does not. Un-housed and under-housed people cannot wait for a perfect ideology to come along, writes Josh Stephens.
Urban Exodus: Data Don't Support the Popular Pandemic Narrative
Americans fled cities in waves during the pandemic, right? Not to so fast.
Cities Finding Ways to Resist State-Mandated Upzoning
The resistance to state-mandated zoning reforms, already well underway in Oregon, is now starting to whiplash through California as well.
On Housing, Cities' Traditional Political Labels No Longer Apply
Historically liberal cities belie their supposed concern for human welfare by rejecting new development. Meanwhile, more conservative cities have seized the moment to become more progressive, innovative, and inclusive.
Assessing Prince George's County's Climate Action Plan
The Prince George's County draft Climate Action Plan includes ambitious goals and timetables, but falls short of recommended targets for emissions reductions in the transportation sector.
Study: More Bike Infrastructure Could Prevent 15,000 Deaths Annually
In addition to reducing air pollution and congestion, improving bike infrastructure could save thousands of lives each year, according to new research.
Lassen County
City of Surprise
City of Manhattan - Community Development Department
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of San Carlos
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Royal Oak, Michigan
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
