Green Building
Building Green For the Low-Income
New green building projects aimed at low-income residents are popping up across the country, and federal stimulus money is helping.
Good for Enviros, Chore for Landlords
The newly passed stimulus bill's sustainability elements are blessings for green builders and environmentalists. As far as commercial property owners are concerned, however, those elements may be seen as too much work for little benefit.
Creating Sustainability in Oregon
The master plan for Salem, Oregon's Pringle Creek Community is ambitious, says Jim Fitzsimons, incorporating mixed-use, sustainable development with the community-enhancing aspects of old city neighborhoods.
Planned Eco-City in China Stumbles
Dongtan eco-city was to be a community of 50,000 residents living in a utopian, eco-friendly development. But since the mayor of Shanghai, a big supporter, was arrested on fraud charges, the whole project may be dead in the water.
Builders Chafe at Green Standards
The State of Connecticut will enact a new green building code in January, and builders are already calling it "awkward" and "unworkable".
What Green Architecture Really Means
Architect David Cook looks at the sustainability craze in building and architecture and warns that calling something "green" doesn't necessarily make it so.
The Future Homes of Post-Crash America
Just as good economic times pushed housing sizes to mansion-like proportions, the downturn in the economy will force builders and consumers to size down and get energy efficient, according to this commentary from James S. Russell.
Plenty Green But Too Tall?
In what may prove a decisive test to see the political limits of what green building offers developers, a LEED Platinum, 10-story office building is proposed along San Francisco's tightly regulated waterfront - exceeding the height limit by 40 feet.
County Enacts Far-Reaching Green Building Reform
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors recently approved a package of green building ordinances that may be the most comprehensive and far reaching green building legislation at the local level in the country.
Leafy Skyscraper Going Up in Singapore
Construction on architects TR Hamzah & Yeang's EDITT Building (Ecological Design in the Tropics) is underway in Singapore
A Living Museum in Golden Gate Park
Renzo Piano's new Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco is bursting with green technology and alive with plants.
'I Hate Green Architecture'
Cathleen McGuigan, Newsweek's architecture critic, is disdainful of the hype surrounding green architecture, particularly because it so often doesn't address the main problems with land use: proximity to jobs and services, and oversized development.
When Housing Market Rebounds, Green Building May Boom
The current downturn in the housing industry may be opening the door for a greener upswing.
Broad Green Building Law Passed in San Francisco
San Francisco has passed some of the strictest green building requirements in the nation, for new construction and renovations.
SF's New Federal Building is Green and Safe, But Is It Good?
Witold Rybczynski visits Thom Mayne's new Federal Building in downtown San Francisco. He finds a number of energy conservation innovations at play, but concludes that precious little else is playful or human about the architecture.
How Much Is Green Worth?
A recent conference in Austin, Texas, of real estate appraisers explored how they should incorporate green-building techniques and features into their assessment of properties.
Is New Building Ever Green?
Chevron is moving its New Orleans offices from downtown to a brand new, "eco-friendly" campus- opening up the discussion of whether new construction is ever greener than staying put.
Tornado Clears Way for LEED Platinum Building
The 5-4-7 Arts Center in Greensburg, Kansas gets a LEED platinum designation- evidence that the town, which was 95% destroyed by a tornado in May, 2006, is making good on its sustainable rebuilding plan.
Waco Debuts Nation's First 'Green' Chamber Building
The Waco Chamber of Commerce is credited with inspiring a renaissance in downtown, developing their new headquarters on a former parking lot. They hope to receive LEED certification - the first U.S. chamber building to receive this designation.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
