The availability of green building technologies has been steadily increasing to the point of affordability. Some high-profile projects are setting the stage for broader acceptance and use.
"We are close to the tipping point at which green design becomes the default option for smart building."
The new Hearst Corporation building, recently opened in New York, has achieved a gold-level rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating program of the U.S. Green Building Council. The building required 20% less steel than a typical Manhattan high-rise and is expected to use 22% less energy and produce significantly less carbon dioxide emissions than the average city building.
LEED has also paved a path for new green building standards, including one that considers the entire life-span of a project and its materials.
"Quietly competing with LEED is the Cradle-to-Cradle protocol, developed by architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart. C2C considers the entire life cycle of a product, from manufacture to recycling; or, even better, 'up-cycling.' The first C2C home, a 1,623-square-foot, two-bedroom house in Roanoke, Va., will be completed next month."
FULL STORY: Green Wonders of the World
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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
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The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data
The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Spring Spectacle: Thousands of Tulips Bloom at One of LA’s Top Gardens
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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.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research