Honolulu is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to use deep seawater as a natural air conditioning for downtown buildings. The system should be in place for up to 40 clients by 2010.
"Chilled deep water has been used for two decades to cool buildings at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii at Keahole Point on the Big Island. Other systems have been in place for years at other areas - including Cornell University, Toronto and Scandinavia - where the location provides a deep-water source.
The Honolulu project - estimated at about $152 million - is perhaps one of the most ambitious."
"The system would draw water from the ocean floor four miles off the Kakaako coast at a depth of 1,600 feet, where water temperature is 45 degrees year-round.
That water would be sucked up to a 25,000-square-foot pumping station, to be located near the Gold Bond Building in Kakaako, where it then would be distributed to the air-conditioning systems of public and private buildings in an area roughly bounded by Nuuanu Avenue, Vineyard Boulevard and Ward Avenue along the Kakaako shoreline."
FULL STORY: Plan to cool downtown by sea water advances
How Community Science Connects People, Parks, and Biodiversity
Community science engages people of all backgrounds in documenting local biodiversity, strengthening connections to nature, and contributing to global efforts like the City Nature Challenge to build a more inclusive and resilient future.
FEMA Resilience Program Cuts Grant Funding
The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program funded projects from flood prevention to power station upgrades.
Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.
Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service