The bonds finance new green infrastructure projects that otherwise would be considered too risky.

Atlanta wants to clean up the Proctor Creek watershed, and it has released a $14 million environmental impact bond for a series of green infrastructure projects, writes Jared Brey:
Environmental impact bonds (EIBs), like social impact bonds, are a type of financing that provides different levels of return for investors based on how well the projects funded by the bond perform. If a green infrastructure intervention is more effective than expected, investors get a greater return; if less successful, the return is lower.
EIBs are useful financing mechanisms for projects that are innovative but also considered risky and that might be harder to fund through a traditional bond. The Atlanta EIB will fund six projects, including installation of stormwater planters, creek and habitat restoration, and development of bioretention and wetland areas.
The firm Quantified Ventures helped Atlanta with the EIB, and it also worked with DC Water on the country’s first EIB, launched in 2016. Brey reports that investors in Atlanta include both firms committed to the environmental outcomes and larger, more traditional investment firms.
FULL STORY: Atlanta Issues Environmental Impact Bond for Green Infrastructure

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Idaho Data: Unexpected Vehicle Repairs Exacerbate Housing Instability, Eviction Risk
Over 21 percent of clients struggle with transportation barriers.

A Year-Long Investigation On Permanent Supportive Housing
The New York Times reveals what’s working and what’s not in the cornerstone of Housing First.
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