U.S. cities such as Chicago, San Francisco, and Sacramento are becoming more energy efficient in an effort to attain the title of the nation's greenest city.
"Sacramento trails only Chicago, which has been showered with media attention for Mayor Richard M. Daley's quest to go green. Chicago, where high-rises seem to sprout almost daily, has 5.2 million square feet of LEED-certified space.San Francisco has 1.1 million square feet; Los Angeles, 1.85 million."
"Like many cities, Sacramento is working on its own sustainability plan to reduce the city's energy use and contribution to global warming. Sacramento also requires that new city buildings meet the LEED silver threshold....Other cities are further along in offering incentives for green building by private developers..."
"In the world of sustainable development, eye-catching features tend to get a lot of attention. Mayor Daley in Chicago has received headlines for his campaign to install greenery on the rooftops of buildings...Some green experts view these high-visibility features as less important than seemingly more mundane items such as windows, heating and cooling systems and insulation."
Read the full story: Aspiring to be America's greenest city
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
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
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?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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