A Marin County shopping mall hopes to be the first LEED-certified mall, partly by reserving parking space for low emitting vehicles. All spaces, for guzzlers and green vehicles alike, are unpriced, perhaps pointing to shortfalls of green building.
The notion that the US Green Building Council would award points for parking spaces reserved for low-emissions vehicles while keeping all spaces 'free' might give pause to parking guru, Don Shoup, and justification for a recent Planetizen feature, "Parking Policy Reform More Important Than LEED Certification".
San Rafael's Northgate "mall aims to become California's first regional mall to be LEED certified, and in doing so, officials have reserved 154 parking spaces, or 5 percent of the mall's 3,100 spaces, for "low-emitting fuel-efficient vehicles." The spaces earn the mall points toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification status, awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council."
"A nine-page list of low-emitting vehicles, determined by the council and available at the mall's guest services kiosk and at the management office, includes hundreds of makes, years and models.
Mall officials have said they encourage only people driving low-emitting vehicles to use the spaces, but the mall does not have an enforcement policy."
However, the plan has run into unexpected difficulties, and for the time being, no spaces will be reserved for the greener vehicles.
Thanks to SF Streetsblog
FULL STORY: Northgate mall's low-emission parking spaces get blacked out - for now
Watch: How to Remove Thousands of Parking Spaces
What the city of Amsterdam will gain by removing cars from on-street parking space.
USDOT Awards $96 Million to BRT Projects in Washington, Missouri and Commuter Rail in California
On April 9, FTA awarded $43 million for a new, 12-mile bus rapid transit line in Everett; $30 million to extend BRT 10 miles in Kansas City and $22.5 million to extend a North Bay commuter rail line two miles to a ferry terminal on San Francisco Bay.
Gentrification and the Bay Area's Controversial Growth Management Plan
Is gentrification the inevitable result of land use planning that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by favoring infill development over auto-dependent sprawl? The Urban Displacement Project looks at the unintended effects of Plan Bay Area.
How Smaller Supermarkets Could Transform American Communities
Bigger is not always better.
Research Links Urban Design and Human Happiness
An emerging field of ‘neuroarchitectural’ research is revealing how building facades and urban design impact the human brain and body.
Save Lives on Our Roads Using the Safe System Approach
Prioritizing safety and committing to the SSA framework can make a big impact in the effort to reduce traffic fatalities.
How AI Is Revolutionizing Urban Forestry and Climate Resilience
Tree-D Fusion, an AI-driven tool developed by MIT and Purdue researchers, generates 3D models of urban trees to help city planners visualize future green spaces, address climate challenges, and enhance urban livability and sustainability.
Key Climate and Health Issues to Watch in 2025
The escalating health impacts of climate change, from extreme heat to sea level rise, highlight the urgent need for integrated medical education, proactive communication, and sustainable policy solutions to protect public health.
Rising Temperatures and the Escalating Wildfire Crisis
Rising global temperatures driven by climate change are intensifying and prolonging wildfire seasons worldwide, necessitating improved forest management, public awareness, and urgent action to reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Oxford
Caltrans - District 7
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
Newport County Development Council: Connect Greater Newport