Peter Mithin asks if government should lead be creating and enforcing green building standards, or leading by example instead?
Mithin says that private enterprise has done a fairly good job of pushing green building standards on their own, driven by the economic incentive. But if there is plenty of cheap land and little regulation, business lack that incentive.
Mithin talks with frequent Planetizen contributor and Vancouver planning director Brent Toderian:
"The hope is that you'll inspire the private sector, but the primary tool that municipalities have is regulation. Our main power is not inspiration; our main power is regulation," says Toderian.
Read the full story: Pushing the building envelope
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.
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.
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.
How Chicago, New York and Seattle are funding transit projects amid tough times
Notes from the American Public Transportation Association's TransForm conference in Chicago.
Transport for London tackles hate crime spike with free bystander training
Recorded hate crime offences on the London's transport network have increased by 36 per cent.
Denver is solving homelessness. Why aren't the rest of us?
Since 2023, Denver's street homeless population has decreased by 64%, proving that effective tools exist to support those in need of housing.
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