Ever wonder how the greenhouse gas emissions of your home compare to your neighbor's, or the supermarket down the street, or the office tower you work in? New software helps visualize such information in three dimensions across an entire city.
Developed by researchers at Arizona State University, the Hestia Project makes dramatically clear the comparative greenhouse gas emissions of a city's energy users, "right down to its individual buildings and roadways," explains Emily Badger.
One of the project's key advances is that, "[t]he software corrals publicly available data wholly unrelated to climate
change. That includes property tax filings that reveal the size and age
of buildings, how they're used and what fuel heats them, DMV records on
auto maintenance and inspections, and Metropolitan Planning
Organization traffic count estimates."
"The researchers have begun to test the software in Phoenix and Los
Angeles as well," notes Badger, "and [Kevin Gurney, an associate professor in ASU's School of Life Sciences and a senior scientist with the Global Institute of Sustainability] imagines that it would be particularly
useful to city managers trying to figure out how to target limited
resources toward the emissions sources with the greatest potential for
reductions."
FULL STORY: Watch a City Aglow in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The United Nations Studies Urban Emissions Monitoring
Urban emissions researchers have been invited to speak at the UN Climate Conference in Lima. Their findings: through focused and networked monitoring, cities can make real inroads on cutting carbon.
Judge Declares Federal Emissions Rule ‘Arbitrary and Capricious’
Another judge already vacated the rule nationwide before the latest case was decided.
Texas Court Vacates Federal Emissions Rule
The decision vacates a USDOT rule that would have required states to establish emission reduction plans.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
