Perkins + Will, the architecture firm behind a new residence hall at Bridgewater State University, have attached an unusual provision to their green design: no mini-fridges or personal microwaves allowed.
Mini-fridges, Lloyd Alter writes, can consume 800 watts of electricity each. Perkins + Will will build communal kitchens for students living at George A. Weygand Hall in order to reduce the total amount of energy used to refrigerate or reheat food.
The architects’ restrictions on use accompany more traditional energy-saving design strategies, including a geothermal well system and automatic heating and cooling systems. “We’ve done our part,” Perkins + Will wrote. “Now it’s up to the newest residents of the building to hold the line!”
Read the full story: If you want a green student residence, lose the fridge
Another Big City Announces Sweeping Energy Plans for Buildings
San Francisco and New York City made a theme of this year's Earth Day: mandating emissions reductions from buildings.
Calling on Urban Designers to Lead the Fight Against Climate Change
Alan G. Brake writes an editorial calling on the architecture and urbanism fields to push even further to reduce carbon emissions by designing (and upgrading) efficient buildings.
Buildings That Are Green But Not Energy-Efficient
LEED-certified buildings may be constructed with little energy, but some are just as energy-intensive as non "green" buildings once they're in use. This disconnect is prompting the U.S. Green Building Council to change its rules.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
Atlanta City Council unanimously backs $3.5 billion Beltline light rail project
The resolution was drafted after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens pulled support for the Atlanta Streetcar extension last year.
SEPTA to bring nearby frequent transit to over 1 million new riders as part of decade-long plan
The agency's Accelerate plan will also bring frequent transit to twice the amount of jobs that are currently located near it.
NYC plants over 18,000 trees, the most new foliage in a decade
Many of the trees were planted in communities vulnerable to extreme heat.
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.
City of Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello