The Public Buildings Service, which is responsible for charging and collecting rent on 9,600 public buildings across the 50 states, has been asked to go green by retrofitting and smartening its aging buildings.
"This isn't just the flavor of the month; this isn't just a pilot," General Services Administration assistant commissioner Larry Melton explained. "This is the future of facilities, really. We have the ability to change the platform."
"The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, coupled with Executive Orders issued by President Obama, dictate the GSA cut its energy use by 30% (compared to 2003 levels) by 2015."
"The long-term vision is to link all 9,600 buildings on a single network, with regional command centers controlling energy output and a national one spotting trends and opportunities and writing policies around them."
FULL STORY: The Government's Landlord Smartens Up and Goes Green
Office Vacancies at Federal Agencies as High as 75 Percent
Many federal agencies are sitting on underutilized buildings, causing a congressional committee to call into question the need for so much real estate.
Report Makes 'The Case for Social Housing'
The economic disruption of the pandemic has strengthened public support—even among Republicans—for an ambitious social housing program at the federal level, according to the findings of a recent report.
Infrastructure Policy Reform, From the Ground Up
Brookings provides a manifesto, of sorts, to suggest an entirely new path forward on infrastructure policy.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?
Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont