While many argue over the costs and benefits of requiring LEED-certification, some affordable housing developers have shown that building green doesn't require following the program's recommendations.
"[Mary Spink, executive director of the Lower East Side People's Mutual Housing Association,] and her longtime architect Chris Benedict and mechanical engineer Henry Gifford are among the few who have figured out how to cut energy costs dramatically while using the same old construction technology everyone else does. They fork over a little extra for essentials like cellulose insulation and a special glazing on the windows that helps reflect heat in summer and retain it in winter. But most of what they do has nothing to do with special gadgets. A specially designed gas boiler is installed on the roof instead of in the basement; weep-holes in the brick exterior allow excess moisture to escape from the building's walls where mold might otherwise grow; and a rooftop garden further insulates the building and strengthens the roof."
"Few cutting-edge materials, and yet, according to Spink and a cadre of third-party observers such as Green Home NYC, the result is a building that costs no more than standard construction but uses only one-sixth the energy. This might be an environmentally positive result by most standards, but Spink's buildings aren't LEED-certified and she doesn't get those prized green tax credits as a result."
FULL STORY: LEED-ing By Example: Green Building Grows Up

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

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.

The Unseen Aftermath: Wildfires’ Lasting Health and Emotional Burden
Wildfires in Los Angeles not only pose immediate physical health risks but also lead to long-term respiratory problems and mental health struggles, underscoring the need for a coordinated public health response to mitigate their lasting effects.

Public Parks as Climate Resilience Tools
Designed with green infrastructure, parks can mitigate flooding, reduce urban heat, and enhance climate resilience, offering cost-effective solutions to environmental challenges while benefiting communities.

What the Proposed Federal Budget Means for Transit, Rail
The proposed FY 2025 budget keeps spending for public transit and passenger rail essentially the same as in 2024.
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.
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Edmonds
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research