Climate & Resilience: Page
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‘Amazingly high’ air pollution near Houston chemical plants gets EPA monitoring support
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s support adds weight to potential recommendations the city could make for state industrial emissions regulation, said the Houston Health Department’s chief environmental science officer.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 12, 2023 -
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Demand for parking may have dire climate, housing consequences, author says
“The more parking you provide, the more likely people will be to own a car,” said author Henry Grabar on a webinar.
By Dan Zukowski • July 12, 2023 -
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TrendlineTop 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 -
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Solar-powered ‘microgrids’ coming to San Diego public buildings as first of 8 projects breaks ground
The microgrids will save the city $6 million over 25 years and boost community resiliency by providing energy during blackouts, the city says.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 11, 2023 -
Permission granted by Tucker Mitchell for Common Ground Compost
New York City zero waste package, including mandatory residential organics recycling, becomes law
The city’s Department of Sanitation, which was already ramping up a voluntary curbside organics program, must now enforce participation in 2024 after Mayor Eric Adams allowed a bill to become law without his signature.
By Jacob Wallace • Updated July 11, 2023 -
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Los Angeles’ car-free ‘park block’ pilot aims for cleaner air and safer neighborhood streets
The city plans to reroute traffic and create public spaces where roads are closed, following in the footsteps of Barcelona's successful "superblock" program.
By Joan Mooney • July 10, 2023 -
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As billion-dollar disasters increase, FEMA evolves to keep up
The agency is reevaluating when to scale up staffing and eyeing building codes as a strategy to save on recovery costs.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 6, 2023 -
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US electric vehicle goals will require up to $127B to install 28M chargers by 2030: NREL
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory expects there will be 30 million to 42 million electric vehicles on U.S. roads in 2030, requiring a rapid infrastructure buildout.
By Robert Walton • July 6, 2023 -
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California greenlights $4.3B funding for energy efficiency, targets underserved and rural communities
The funding will support energy efficiency efforts from 2024 through 2027. Regulators also approved a forecasted budget of another $4.6 billion from 2028 through 2031.
By Kavya Balaraman • July 5, 2023 -
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Wildfires that burn buildings and vehicles may produce more toxic smoke than those in the wilderness
The emissions pose a “unique threat to public health,” since these fires may burn close to populated areas, warn researchers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 5, 2023 -
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EPA launches $7B program to fund solar development in low-income and disadvantaged communities
The agency will assess proposals on several metrics, including whether they produce at least 20% bill savings, provide resilience benefits during power outages and support workforce development.
By Ethan Howland • June 30, 2023 -
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Massachusetts city mandates net-zero emissions for some large buildings by 2035
Cambridge, Massachusetts, touted its new requirements as the most aggressive in the country, as building performance standards emerge as a key tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing buildings.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 30, 2023 -
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Coastal cities are sinking as sea levels are rising, increasing flood risks
Individual communities are limited in their ability to stop either phenomenon, experts say, but governments can take steps to minimize the flooding that might result.
By Adina Solomon • June 28, 2023 -
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New York City’s long-awaited commercial waste zones take key step forward
The country's largest commercial waste market is heading toward its most significant change in decades. Supporters hope it will boost recycling rates, lower vehicle emissions and offer more transparent customer service.
By Cole Rosengren • June 27, 2023 -
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Q&A‘Dead trees all over the city’: Where tree-planting efforts go wrong
As federal funds flow toward urban forestry, collaboration with residents and appropriate technical expertise can lead to more tree-planting success, one researcher says.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 27, 2023 -
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US will need to triple building retrofit rate to meet decarbonization targets: report
The report urges building owners and occupiers to strengthen their relationships, upskill the labor force and electrify major building systems to avoid a “brown discount” on lease negotiations.
By Joe Burns • June 26, 2023 -
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Over 100K contaminated sites may be threatened by rising groundwater, researchers warn
Humans and ecosystems across the U.S. could be exposed to severe health risks if rising groundwater causes the migration of contaminants such as heavy metals and petroleum products.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 26, 2023 -
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Phoenix water conservation policy targets future development
Southwestern cities vary in their approaches to water conservation, from regulations to incentives. Phoenix’s recently adopted policy charts a middle path, a city water official said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 23, 2023 -
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To improve multifamily housing energy efficiency and resiliency, HUD offers $4.8B for retrofits
The first round of the $4.8 billion GRRP covers upgrades for 28 rent-assisted properties.
By Mary Salmonsen • June 22, 2023 -
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To build climate resilience, NOAA announces $575M for coastal, Great Lakes communities
The grants, which come from the Inflation Reduction Act, do not require matching funds, and recipients will have up to five years to spend the money.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 20, 2023 -
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Air taxis are coming soon. Zoning and regulatory authorities are not ready.
Air taxis, also known as eVTOL aircraft, could come to major cities as soon as 2025, but few local governments have policies for new vertiports, says a Mineta Transportation Institute report.
By Dan Zukowski • June 20, 2023 -
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Extreme heat is changing the structure of local governance
For Los Angeles Chief Heat Officer Marta Segura, “un-siloing, coordinating and collaborating, and building plans with other departments” has been a big part of the work.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 16, 2023 -
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When wildfires hit, homes built under fire-resistant codes are surviving. Communities are noticing.
Building code changes resulted in more saved homes in the 2018 Camp Fire in California. With more frequent, intense wildfires likely, Western communities are taking a look but hearing concerns about costs and property rights.
By Amanda Loudin • June 16, 2023 -
[Photograph]. Retrieved from New York City Water.
New York leaders see a role for composting and codigestion as the city scales up organics recycling
With New York City making curbside organics separation and collection mandatory, city leaders face complex decisions about the fate of New York's organic waste.
By Jacob Wallace • June 15, 2023 -
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To reduce carbon footprint of existing buildings, Seattle proposes new standards
Mayor Bruce Harrell called the legislation “among the most impactful proposals [the city] can advance to reduce emissions.”
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 15, 2023 -
Courtesy of New York City Department of Design and Construction
New York City rebuilds $16.6M corridor with permeable concrete
As a result of new stormwater rules, the city will require green infrastructure in other, similar-sized projects going forward.
By Matthew Thibault • June 14, 2023
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