A design fix helps Brooklyn brownstones go green.
Homes in Brooklyn and Manhattan may face an architectural obstacle in going solar, Liz Stinson explains in Wired: the flat roof common to brownstones and brick buildings.
Besides the fact that solar panels may perform better at particular angles, skylights and HVAC systems can provide physical barriers to installing solar arrays.
To solve these problems, local firm Situ Studio and startup Brooklyn SolarWorks created a solar canopy that bolts to the roof and elevates photovoltaic panels by 10 feet. It avoids obstacles on the roof, clears city codes, and allows Brooklyn’s bright young things to keep up their rooftop gatherings.
Stinson notes that the canopies, which are customized to every roof, make a "conspicuous addition to the skyline":
[SolarWorks CEO] Ludwig considers that a good thing. “We think as more people go on their own roofs and they see their neighbors going solar with canopies, that’s going to add a viral effect to going solar,” he says.
FULL STORY: A Clever Canopy Brings Solar Power to Brooklyn at Long Last
Google Debuts Rooftop Solar Mapping Tool
Currently in its early stages, Project Sunroof tracks how much sun every roof receives. Then it estimates the costs and savings if rooftop solar were installed. Right now, the tool only covers the Bay Area, Fresno, and Boston.
California Leads in Solar Rooftops
A combination of state and local incentives and building code mandates has helped California far outpace other states in residential rooftop solar permits.
Commercial Buildings, Parking Lots Offer Significant Potential for Solar Energy
Massive swaths of flat rooftops, garages, and surface parking lots go underutilized. They could be producing renewable energy.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
DARTSpace Platform Streamlines Dallas TOD Application Process
The Dallas transit agency hopes a shorter permitting timeline will boost transit-oriented development around rail stations.
Judge Extends NYC Congestion Pricing Through at Least June 9
A federal judge halted the Trump administration’s effort to kill the program, which remains in limbo as a lawsuit filed by the MTA moves forward.
LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals
Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.
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.
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service