San Francisco becomes the 40th city statewide to legislate a ban on natural gas in development projects.

San Francisco has followed in Berkeley's historic 2019 footsteps to place a city-wide ban on the use of natural gas in new buildings.
"In a meeting on Tuesday, the city's Board of Supervisors passed legislation requiring new residential and commercial building construction to utilize all-electric power, starting with projects that file permits next year," reports Kristin Musulin.
The ordinance comes as part of an ongoing effort on the part of city officials to reduce climate change-fueling carbon dioxide emissions, says District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, connecting the state's brutal 2020 wildfire season to the destructive effects of climate change.
"The board's unanimous vote concludes nearly a year of deliberation with the Zero Emissions Building Taskforce, Mandelman said, which brought together affordable housing and mixed-use developers, architects and engineers, labor and building trades and community advocates to craft the legislation," writes Musulin.
Since Berkeley passed a groundbreaking gas banning ordinance in 2019, 40 cities in California have followed suit. Musulin reports that ordinance proponents are now looking to large cities like Los Angeles to pass gas ban legislation and for Governor Gavin Newsom to champion statewide legislation.
Musulin's article lays out several lines of reasoning for San Francisco's recent ordinance and describes how "a shift to all-electric construction can be done incrementally to ensure it doesn't overburden industries."
FULL STORY: San Francisco's gas ban on new buildings could prompt statewide action

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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