A new HVAC system for a building in Minnesota that was expected to meet high environmental standards was going to come in at almost three times its originally estimated costs. So city officials are delaying.
"That commitment makes Edina just the latest in a string of area cities that are trying to balance costs with incorporating energy-saving and environmentally sensitive practices into new public buildings.
'There isn't a public building going up where you wouldn't take a look at these things,' said Mike Eastling, director of public works in Richfield, where a $12 million public works building with state-of-the-art green features opened last year."
The costs of going green in this instance were too high for the city, which is now delaying the project and bending some rules to try to get the geothermal system in place more affordable. Many other cities across the country are starting to reconsider whether the costs of going green are really too high.
Read the full story: Cities weigh green features vs. expense in new buildings
New HUD guidelines call for nixing green building requirements
The newly released 'best practices' advise local governments to streamline permitting processes, cap permitting fees and encourage by-right development of single-family homes.
Chicago Approves Green Affordable Housing Plan
The Mayor’s plan calls for creating a nonprofit housing corporation tasked with building affordable housing that meets Green Building standards.
Advancing Sustainability in Los Angeles County Schools
The Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Green Schools Symposium brings together educators, students, and experts to advance sustainability in schools through innovative design, climate resilience strategies, and collaborative learning.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Data reveals that NYC’s bet on congestion pricing has paid off
After almost two years of the program, reports show positive impacts on traffic and air quality and no disruptions to parking.
HUD modernizes 50-year-old manufactured housing framework
The Next Generation Manufactured Housing Action Plan establishes new energy-efficiency standards for manufactured homes, and new guidelines for anchoring them.
Small single-family homes are illegal in most of MA. Voters can change that
Most land zoned for single-family housing in Massachusetts requires at least 40,000 square feet of land per house.
Public steps inside U.S.’s first battery-powered train
Metra’s groundbreaking train feature modern seats and a futuristic battery car.
Companies show off AI technology, new innovation hubs at APTA Expo
Nearly 700 companies attended the American Public Transportation Association’s Expo last week, which happens once every three years.
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.
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
planning NEXT
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority