As part of a $133 million renovation of a federal building in Portland, the Government Services Administration plans to add 200-foot high "vegetated fins" that will carpet the building with plants and - hopefully - energy savings.
Architects claim the vegetated wall will block out summer heat and let in winter light to produce substantial cost and energy savings. When combined with solar panels, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and rainwater usage, the high-rise is predicted to use 60-65% less energy than comparable buildings and could save $280,000 annually in energy costs.
Not everyone is a fan of the proposal: despite the fact that it would be one of the most efficient high-rises in the world, a number of critics say the price tag is staggering for a renovation and the cost per square foot could be higher than that of some new, energy efficient projects.
Thanks to Rebecca Sanborn Stone
Read the full story: In Portland, Going Green and Growing Vertical in a Bid for Energy Savings
Affordable Housing Renovations Halt Mid-Air Amidst DOGE Clawbacks
HUD may rescind over a billion dollars earmarked for green building upgrades.
Building a Cleaner Future: Financing the Coal-to-Clean Transition
The Coal-to-Clean Initiative is an effort to fund the early retirement of coal plants in emerging markets, urging public-private collaboration to achieve a just energy transition that limits global warming and supports sustainable growth.
Retrofitting Old Cities for Sustainability
Explore strategies for retrofitting old cities to enhance sustainability while preserving historical integrity and managing logistical challenges.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Move over, LA: St. Louis gears up for Olympics, invests millions in downtown redevelopment
The Missouri city will host the 2028 Olympic soccer group stage and knockout matches.
Dallas releases zoning code overhaul to officials
The drafted overhaul is over 400 pages long.
NYC renovations for dangerous, ‘mercilessly crammed’ street delayed until 2027
Construction was supposed to begin this fall.
San Diego’s Midway Rising project gets greenlight from city council
The project looks to become the largest affordable housing development in California's history.
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello