Cities and businesses are looking to reduce waste from demolition sites and increase the amount of recycled material used in new developments.
"Reusing materials will be important for cities as they look to cut waste to meet environmental targets, and because rapid urbanisation will put pressure on the supply of materials such as cement and steel," writes Rich Heap. "I interpret large urban buildings to mean offices, housing developments, shopping centres, and industrial buildings. That's the easy part. The more difficult part is coming up with a single definition for recycling because there are three terms that are relevant to this discussion" -- recycling, upcycling, and downcycling.
"Waste from construction and demolition projects now accounts for 25 to 30 percent of total waste in the EU, and the proportion is similar in the US. This includes concrete, brick, cement, glass, wood, and metal. Much of this can be broken down and turned into new building aggregate."
FULL STORY: Cities Wipe Out Demolition Waste
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie