The law calls for buildings larger than 20,000 square feet to eliminate fossil fuels by 2050.
Seattle building owners and managers will be tasked with developing plans to decarbonize their buildings by 2050 under a new city law that is expected to reduce building emissions by 27 percent by 2050, reports Amanda Zhou of The Seattle Times in Governing.
“The law, which Seattle City Council members voted unanimously to approve, applies to about 4,100 buildings that are 20,000 square feet or larger, including skyscrapers, retail stores, research facilities, community centers, offices and some low-rise apartment buildings.” These buildings, Zhou explains make up 3 percent of the city’s building stock but produce more than one-third of total building emissions.
Building owners will get assistance through a city program designed to help them transition funded by federal dollars and $4.5 million in city funds. The program includes a wide array of exceptions and delayed deadlines, including buildings with industrial and manufacturing uses, affordable housing and human services buildings, and buildings facing “high vacancy rates or financial distress.”
Read the full story: Seattle to Phase Out Large Building Emissions by 2050
LA’s Trees Absorb More Carbon Than Expected, But Can’t Do It Alone
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
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Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
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Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority