Buildings & Design

  • Debris from Hurricane Helene cover the ground.
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    Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images
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    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
  • A view of office buildings on October 27, 2022 in San Francisco, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    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
  • City infrastructure depicted with a skyline and 2-way street
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    Danila Shtantsov via Adobe Stock

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    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
  • A female engineer squats down to inspect and control the cooling system of a large factory air conditioner
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    Panupong Piewkleng via Getty Images
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    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
  • Building debris falling into a river. Other houses still stand by the river.
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    Sean Rayford via Getty Images
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    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 • Oct. 2, 2024
  • Crowds of people walk on a city street
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    rarrarorro via Getty Images
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    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 , • Oct. 1, 2024
  • Aerial shot of buildings on a sunny day
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    Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
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    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 • Sept. 30, 2024
  • A man in a red uniform repairing a heat pump.
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    welcomia via Getty Images
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    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 • Sept. 24, 2024
  • An aerial rendering of the expansion project at the north end of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport's Terminal 2
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    Courtesy of Metropolitan Airports Commission and Miller Dunwiddie
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    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
  • An aerial view of buildings and skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles at sunset
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    Melpomenem via Getty Images
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    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
  • Aerial shot of city buildings
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    Art Wager via Getty Images
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    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 • Sept. 16, 2024
  • A cityscape of skyscrapers and commercial buildings around State Street Bridge in Chicago.
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    tunart via Getty Images
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    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
  • An aerial shot of modern office towers and Downtown Park in Bellevue, Washington on a sunny summer day.
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    halbergman via Getty Images
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    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
  • Aerial view of rooftops in a suburban neighborhood. A street curves through the houses.
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    Haizhan Zheng via Getty Images
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    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 • Updated Sept. 27, 2024
  • The financial district in Boston, seen against the Boston Harbor at sunrise showcasing a mix of contemporary and historic buildings.
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    Marcio Silva via Getty Images
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    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
  • Large office buildings against a blue sky.
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    David Ryder/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    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 • Aug. 28, 2024
  • A person pushes a gurney with a person on it into a vehicle
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    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 • Aug. 27, 2024
  • Two people carry equipment into a building on a busy city sidewalk.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    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 • Aug. 26, 2024
  • Window AC units in a large building from the outside.
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    Johan_Spinnell via Getty Images
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    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 • Aug. 22, 2024
  • Three people speak with each other in front of a large multifamily building.
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    Kent J. Edwards/Reuters

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    Deep Dive

    Should tenants have a right to cooling? More cities say yes amid record heat.

    As rental cooling standards pop up around the country, experts warn that they aren’t a perfect solution to the rising danger of scorching temperatures.

    By • Aug. 20, 2024
  • People look up at bubbles floating across a city street.
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    Permission granted by Paul Kalbfleisch
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    Opinion

    Prioritize play to help your city thrive in a post-pandemic world

    More joyful public spaces can offer a path forward for cities as housing and work trends weaken their relationships with residents.

    By Paul Kalbfleisch • Aug. 13, 2024
  • The sign for the EPA is pictured.
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    Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    EPA unveils labels for green construction materials

    Materials that earn the label will be listed in a central, publicly accessible registry, making it easier to identify and purchase them, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    By Julie Strupp • Aug. 12, 2024
  • A rendering of people playing sports in a recreation center with basketball hoops and an upper level. The building is made of wood and has large windows with sunlight streaming through.
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    Permission granted by Marvel, TYLin | Silman Structural Solutions, NYC Department of Design and Construction and the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation
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    Want more mass timber buildings in your city? This industry group could help.

    New York City, Boston and Atlanta have launched programs to spur mass timber construction, which proponents say can lower buildings’ embodied carbon. The Softwood Lumber Board wants to fund more of such efforts.

    By • Aug. 12, 2024
  • A plus shaped pool in the river in front of a city skyline. A path leads out to the pool from the riverbank.
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    Permission granted by Friends of + POOL
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    Floating pool in Manhattan’s East River gets a step closer to reality

    As climate change drives more heat waves, New York state and city officials unveiled the location of a multiuse swimming facility they hope will bring residents some relief.

    By • Updated Aug. 8, 2024
  • An interior of a lake source cooling system at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York
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    Retrieved from Cornell University on August 06, 2024
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    Thermal energy networks can slash water use in buildings, study shows

    With thermal energy networks poised to expand in coming years, water usage data must be standardized and publicly available, the Building Decarbonization Coalition said.

    By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 7, 2024