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

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.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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