Buildings & Design: Page 3

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    Q&A

    Think holistically about infrastructure, new president of civil engineering group urges

    The American Society of Civil Engineers’ Marsia Geldert-Murphey talks about why public transit is the most underfunded infrastructure sector and how to build climate change-ready structures.

    By Julie Strupp • March 7, 2024
  • Construction framing of wood building.
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    ribeirorocha via Getty Images
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    Building energy code revamps can get another $90M from DOE

    More energy-efficient homes can remain habitable longer during extreme heat and cold events, which could save lives, a Department of Energy-commissioned study finds.

    By • March 5, 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 in 2024.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
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    Adam Kaz via Getty Images
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    LA City Council plans to streamline solar, battery installation review process

    The move, which echoes a similar initiative in New York City, aims to help Los Angeles reach its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035.

    By Joe Burns • March 5, 2024
  • An engineer checking a maintenance pipe system for ventilation and air conditioning on the rooftop of a building.
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    Amorn Suriyan via Getty Images
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    NYC defines ‘green economy,’ projects job growth in new action plan

    The 124-page plan released yesterday is the city’s latest signal that it is hungry to be at the center of climate change-related business and workforce growth.

    By • Feb. 29, 2024
  • A facade of a building with the General Services Administration signboard
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    Douglas Rissing via Getty Images
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    JLL urges governments to right-size leased space, focus on talent retention in 2024

    Agencies must reimagine workspaces to attract younger workers amid a looming “talent cliff,” according to the firm’s 2024 government trends report.

    By Brian Martucci • Feb. 27, 2024
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    Klubovy via Getty Images
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    Heat pumps would cut energy bills for majority of US homes: NREL research

    Even so, “we need work to bring down the cost of installing heat pumps,” said a senior research engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

    By • Feb. 23, 2024
  • A rendering of a streetscape with The Field Residences written on one of the buildings.
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    Courtesy of Riverside Investment & Development
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    5 of the largest office-to-residential conversions underway across the US

    Over 55,000 residential units are in the pipeline, concentrated in major metros.

    By Mary Salmonsen • Feb. 22, 2024
  • A facade of a sustainable glass office building with a tree for reducing carbon dioxide.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    Building decarbonization guide to be developed by ASHRAE, Noresco

    The guide will provide case studies, guidance and key takeaways to help building owners and operators establish robust plans and feel confident in their decarbonization endeavors, says the chair of the guide’s working group. 

    By Nish Amarnath • Feb. 21, 2024
  • An airplane flies over a rooftop with a solar array in Los Angeles, California
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    moodboard via Getty Images
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    Los Angeles public-private partnership works to advance industrial solar

    The decade-old Feed-in Tariff program pays property owners for solar energy, but long grid interconnection queues and lingering “mistrust” hinder adoption, a business group leader notes.

    By Brian Martucci • Feb. 14, 2024
  • A bird's eye view of the West Facade of the U.S. Capitol Building and Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., as seen from a window in a downtown office building.
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    dkfielding via Getty Images
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    Washington, DC, readies tax abatement program for commercial-to-residential conversions

    The incentive provides property owners up to $2.5 million for each fiscal year from 2024 through 2026 through a provision that a local attorney describes as “critical to the lifeblood of the city.”

    By Nish Amarnath • Feb. 12, 2024
  • A person speaking into a microphone in front of a brick wall
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    Retrieved from Screenshot: Boston City TV/YouTube on February 09, 2024
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    Boston’s first networked geothermal project will electrify 7 public housing buildings

    Geothermal systems are a promising approach to transitioning communities off fossil fuels for heating and cooling, experts say.

    By • Feb. 9, 2024
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    welcomia via Getty Images
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    9 states pledge to accelerate zero-emission heat pump sales

    The pledge sends a clear market signal, said the senior policy advisor for an association of Northeastern state air quality agencies.

    By • Feb. 7, 2024
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    adamkaz via Getty Images
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    Neighborhood-scale building decarbonization: 2 approaches

    Relying on the replacement of one appliance at a time isn’t enough to meet federal and state climate goals, said the Building Decarbonization Coalition’s executive director. 

    By • Feb. 6, 2024
  • An industrial chimney releasing fumes, steam and polluting gases.
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    Jose Gulias Trigas via Getty Images
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    ASHRAE, ICC unveil draft standard for GHG emission assessment in buildings

    The proposed Standard 240P intends to provide a common platform to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions of buildings, the organizations say. 

    By Nish Amarnath • Feb. 5, 2024
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    John Moore/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    3 ways Washington cities are reimagining downtowns

    Facing empty offices and shops and less pedestrian activity, these cities are seizing the opportunity for creative placemaking.

    By Adina Solomon • Feb. 5, 2024
  • an empty row of EV chargers at a public park
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    Young777 via Getty Images
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    Is the EV revolution over?

    Despite a sales slowdown, apartment owners and developers should charge ahead with electric vehicle infrastructure, experts say.

    By Amanda Loudin • Feb. 1, 2024
  • As part of a maintenance check, a service engineer inspects the solar cell on a building roof for a damaged part.
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    NewSaetiew via Getty Images
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    FEMA to help communities pay for net-zero energy projects post-disaster

    Communities can now leverage the agency’s grant programs to install solar microgrids, heat pumps and passive cooling when rebuilding schools, hospitals, fire stations and other infrastructure in disaster’s wake.

    By • Feb. 1, 2024
  • Aerial shot of city streets and tall buildings
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    RoschetzkyIstockPhoto via Getty Images
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    US cities’ outlook for 2024

    Cities are pushing ahead on innovative bids to build more sustainable, safe and equitable communities, but many of the roadblocks they face likely aren't going anywhere.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff • Jan. 31, 2024
  • The backs of three people sitting at an overlook over a city and mountains at sunset
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    Mario Tama/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Extreme heat watch: Will cities be ready for summer 2024?

    This year could be even hotter than last year’s record-breaker, some scientists say. Cities are using the winter to prepare.

    By • Jan. 31, 2024
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    Jim Vondruska/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Chicago mayor proposes natural gas ban in new buildings

    This marks the first time the city has introduced a building decarbonization ordinance, a city employee said. The proposal drew swift backlash from the local gas industry.

    By • Jan. 25, 2024
  • A modern office with glass windows looking over a green outdoor courtyard.
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    Fahroni via Getty Images
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    ASHRAE updates energy efficiency standard for existing buildings

    The 2024 edition of Standard 100 contains new metrics for setting emissions targets and a “simple” compliance mechanism for energy-efficient and low-emission buildings.

    By Joe Burns • Jan. 22, 2024
  • Cambridge, Massachusetts - Skyline at twilight.
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    Sean Pavone via Getty Images
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    Where land is scarce and housing is costly, some cities are looking up

    Jurisdictions across the country are relaxing zoning laws to allow for taller multifamily construction.

    By Amanda Loudin • Jan. 22, 2024
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    RoschetzkyIstockPhoto via Getty Images
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    Affordable housing faces building performance standards challenges, report says

    Facing costly upgrades, hefty fines and lacking technical assistance, the affordable housing sector needs more help from cities and states with such policies, says a new American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy report.

    By • Jan. 18, 2024
  • Pedestrians and a cyclist cross a crosswalk at a busy city intersection with a burst of sunlight shining through.
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    deberarr via Getty Images
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    6 trends that could shape US cities in 2024

    Cities will contend with a shifting transportation picture, increased urgency to act on climate change, and innovative policies and technologies to address longstanding concerns.

    By , , • Jan. 17, 2024
  • View of the facade of a modern building using renewable energy
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    t_kimura via Getty Images
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    Buildings can reduce energy intensity by up to 38%: report

    Undertaking energy savings and energy efficiency measures by 2030 can garner up to $2 trillion in annual savings, according to a white paper by the World Economic Forum and PwC. 

    By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 11, 2024