Buildings & Design
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Denver to invest $570M in downtown revitalization after voters pass bond measure
The city plans to use newly authorized bond financing to invest in housing, local entrepreneurs, new businesses and public spaces.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Nov. 8, 2024 -
Low-carbon district energy system launches in a Washington city’s waterfront neighborhood
The system, which captures waste heat for districtwide heating and cooling, is expected to help the buildings served meet Washington state energy code requirements, the Port of Bellingham says.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 31, 2024 -
Trendline
Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive
From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.
By Smart Cities Dive staff -
Vacant office space is costing US cities billions in annual rental losses: report
Residential conversion challenges call into question their potential role in stemming the rent losses in cities including New York and Los Angeles, Switch On Business says.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 24, 2024 -
Office-to-residential conversions are tough. Could dorm-style co-living be the answer?
Microapartments with shared bathrooms and kitchens could suit service workers, retirees and young professionals and cost 25% to 35% less than converting offices to traditional apartments, Pew and Gensler researchers said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 22, 2024 -
How to address a key building decarbonization barrier: the ‘split incentive gap’
While landlords and developers foot the bill for efficiency upgrades, tenants benefit from lower energy costs. A Sustainable Markets Initiative road map outlines policies and other ways to address the mismatch.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 11, 2024 -
Green roofs on bus shelters are Boston’s latest climate resilience move
It's the nation’s largest single installation of green roofs on bus shelters, the city says. It hopes the infrastructure will ease stress on Boston’s aging drainage system.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 11, 2024 -
Helene deals billions in damage to infrastructure
Roads, bridges, electrical grids and water systems need to be rebuilt following the deadly storm.
By Julie Strupp • Oct. 10, 2024 -
Why California’s governor shot down a bill aimed at ramping up adaptive reuse projects
Converting commercial buildings to residential or other uses may have become even more complicated under the bill, local officials said.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 9, 2024 -
Sponsored by Dow
Pioneering infrastructure of the future requires collaboration across the value chain today
The evolution of the global landscape mandates a paradigm shift in infrastructure design and execution.
Oct. 7, 2024 -
Skills gap looms for energy efficiency jobs tied to net-zero emission goals: IEA
Dialogue among policymakers, employers and labor unions will play a critical role in training workers for skills relevant to the jobs being offered, a new International Energy Agency report says.
By Nish Amarnath • Oct. 4, 2024 -
FEMA’s push for resilience in building codes gets scrutiny in House hearing
Emergency managers touted the cost-effectiveness of more resilient buildings, but keeping up with the latest codes is a struggle for some local governments and homebuilders.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Oct. 2, 2024 -
2025’s top smart city conferences
Smart city technology, housing, climate action, road safety and more will take center stage at events already announced for next year.
By Ysabelle Kempe , Dan Zukowski • Oct. 1, 2024 -
Affordable multifamily housing owners would get decarbonization help in NYC proposal
Building owners purchasing “offset certificates” to help meet Local Law 97’s greenhouse gas emissions-reduction requirements would pay into the fund.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 30, 2024 -
Seattle boosts electric heat pump incentives with goal to eliminate oil-heated homes
With the city's new rebate, income-qualified households can access up to $8,000 each to switch from oil heat to an electric heat pump.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 24, 2024 -
Minneapolis airport unveils plans for geothermal heating, rainwater harvesting in $263M expansion
The terminal expansion effort will reduce 56% of water utility use, 19% of overall heating and cooling energy demand and 62% of exterior lighting energy demand, the airport commission said.
By Brian Martucci • Sept. 19, 2024 -
2025 California energy code updates aim to drive heat pump adoption, save nearly $5B in energy costs
If approved, the new building energy efficiency standards are expected to drive 500,000 heat pump installations in the first three years, the California Energy Commission said.
By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 17, 2024 -
DOE spurs new building energy codes with another $90M
Construction-heavy states that lack the latest energy-efficiency codes are among the focus areas for this round of federal funding, a U.S. Department of Energy official said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Sept. 16, 2024 -
Retrofits more effective in cutting operational, embodied carbon emissions than new builds: study
Notre Dame researchers analyzed over 1 million Chicago buildings. The team plans to measure buildings’ embodied carbon in most U.S. metropolitan areas by the end of 2025, a researcher said.
By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 11, 2024 -
Washington hopes to advance clean building standards implementation with nearly $8M DOE grant
The state’s Building Efficiency and Clean Operations Network project aims to train at least 60 fellows to provide energy services to building owners and operators.
By Nish Amarnath • Sept. 10, 2024 -
Neighborhood decarbonization pilot programs can start in California
A new law allows natural gas utilities to electrify a neighborhood instead of replacing old gas pipelines under certain conditions.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Updated Sept. 27, 2024 -
What to know about BERDO, Boston’s building performance standards law
While many buildings already meet 2025 emissions limits, facility managers and owners should start planning now for how they’ll meet future requirements, city officials say.
By Joe Burns • Aug. 28, 2024 -
State, local building energy codes get makeovers with over $240M from US DOE
Nineteen states and localities, including Seattle and New York City, got grants announced Tuesday by the Department of Energy. The agency encouraged more communities to apply by Sept. 13 for a second round of funding.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 28, 2024 -
Cities assert tenants’ right to cooling in a warming world
Grappling with fatal heat waves, local governments are passing laws that make landlords provide working air conditioning. Financial and other challenges remain, however.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 27, 2024 -
Q&A
Will New York City make landlords provide air conditioning? Its climate chief is optimistic.
Coordinating any such mandate with the city's building decarbonization law requirements could reduce the burden it might create for building owners, Rohit Aggarwala explained.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 26, 2024 -
Deep Dive
An air conditioning law, the first in its region, changed tenants’ rights in this Maryland county
Montgomery County began requiring landlords to provide AC in 2020 amid climate concerns and renter complaints. Despite a shaky start, officials say things are going smoothly now.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 22, 2024