Buildings & Design: Page 19


  • new york city nyc skyline
    Image attribution tooltip
    Valadi, Sam. (2012). "Empire State - New York City" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    NYC, San Francisco among top 10 global cities with highest pandemic construction costs

    Construction should benefit from its strong position coming out of the pandemic, according to the Arcadis 2021 International Construction Cost Index.

    By Kim Slowey • June 10, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Tim Boyle/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Chicago building decarbonization working group to apply equity lens

    As the city strives to power all buildings with renewable energy by 2035, it's not just about reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also about "prioritizing the health of people in the buildings," said Chicago's chief sustainability officer.

    By Katie Pyzyk • June 7, 2021
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline
    Image attribution tooltip
    jamesteohart via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Trendline

    Top 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
  • EcoPact
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by EcoPact
    Image attribution tooltip

    Baltimore contractor pilots low-carbon concrete product

    The new concrete formulation is designed to cut the material's embodied carbon by 40% compared to ordinary Portland cement-based concrete, the maker says.

    By Jeffrey Steele • June 4, 2021
  • Tampa, Florida, creates resilience plan to prepare for next crisis

    The road map, which officials say is the first to be released during or after the coronavirus pandemic, calls for more affordable housing and broadband access in addition to climate-ready infrastructure.

    By Chris Teale • June 3, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Republicans include $4B for EVs in 2nd counteroffer to Biden infrastructure plan

    The Republicans' proposal would spend $928 billion on infrastructure over the next eight years, a $360 billion increase over their previous proposal. But EV advocates say the plan still falls short. 

    By Catherine Morehouse • May 28, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Mark Wilson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Washington, DC, reclaims top spot as best city for parks

    The Trust for Public Land's rankings measured park equity access for the first time in the index's 10-year history, noting that while many cities have made strides, plenty of work still lies ahead.  

    By Chris Teale • May 27, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    With more extreme weather on horizon, FEMA resilience program's dollars to double

    The Biden administration's $1 billion injection for the nascent Pre-Disaster Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program comes as national leaders aim to "categorically shift" disaster spending from reactive to proactive.

    By Maria Rachal • May 26, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Airbnb
    Image attribution tooltip

    Predicting travel rebound, Airbnb rolls out major feature upgrades

    The company is implementing a swath of changes, including to its City Portal, as CEO Brian Chesky said he anticipates the "biggest travel rebound in a century." 

    By Chris Teale • May 25, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Drew Angerer/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Biden decarbonization focus shifts to buildings, aiming to triple efficiency

    The White House announced workforce development funding, new performance standards and expanded partnerships in the private sector to address carbon emissions from the nation's building stock.

    By Robert Walton • May 20, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Coalition seeks to highlight composting as key urban infrastructure

    Given the Biden administration's focus on climate, environmental justice and infrastructure investment, advocates and trade groups view now as an apt time to pursue $200 million across a decade to help expand U.S. composting.

    By Maria Rachal • May 13, 2021
  • NREL app expected to significantly speed up US residential solar permitting

    A new app designed by NREL will address a key concern among solar contractors with near-instantaneous permit decisions for residential installations in the majority of U.S. jurisdictions.

    By Emma Penrod • May 10, 2021
  • new york cycling
    Image attribution tooltip
    Ward, Grace. (2020). "New York is Dying" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Riskiest states for cycling shift in new analysis

    StreetLight Data took a new approach of looking at fatalities per bicycle miles traveled, or BMT, to measure risk as urban planners grapple with the pandemic's drastic changes to mobility.

    By Cailin Crowe • May 10, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Lawmakers lobby for local infrastructure projects

    Despite a lack of agreement on how much should be spent, politicians on both sides of the aisle are pushing projects that would improve their districts.

    By Zachary Phillips • May 6, 2021
  • pandemic slow streets tactical urbanism
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by NACTO / City of Durham
    Image attribution tooltip

    NACTO awards 10 cities with pandemic street design, recovery grants

    From Seattle to Baltimore, each city will receive $50,000 to transform streets into "community assets" by introducing efforts like asphalt art and traffic calming measures. 

    By Cailin Crowe • Updated June 22, 2021
  • LEED-certified federal buildings aren't using less energy: study

    Despite being "one of the most sought-after" green building certifications, Carnegie Mellon researchers found that LEED has "no effect" on the average energy consumption of federally-owned buildings.

    By Robert Walton • May 5, 2021
  • U.S. Capitol Building
    Image attribution tooltip
    Brian Tucker/Smart Cities Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Dems weigh legislative approaches to push Biden infrastructure plan

    Two House Democrats said they expect most of the $2.3 trillion plan to advance in Congress via reconciliation, but they see room for smaller bipartisan measures, too.

    By Jason Plautz • May 4, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Lime
    Image attribution tooltip

    Lime taps user base for Complete Streets advocacy

    The "People-First Cities" campaign encourages users to advocate for safe local infrastructure. The company said it hopes its presence in red states will push Republican lawmakers to support Biden's infrastructure package. 

    By Cailin Crowe • April 30, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York Building Congress outlines carbon neutrality steps

    Modular tactics and building components that can be disassembled easily and reused will help the construction industry reduce carbon emissions, the group noted. 

    By Kim Slowey • April 27, 2021
  • Pittsburgh pursues sustainable deconstruction policy to salvage building materials

    Following similar steps in Portland, Oregon, and Milwaukee, Pittsburgh is betting that recovering materials from condemned buildings instead of demolishing them will support the city's climate and equity goals.

    By Maria Rachal • April 26, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Buttigieg defends climate elements of American Jobs plan

    The transportation secretary told the Senate Appropriations Committee that President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan aims to have the country off fossil fuels and toward net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

    By Kim Slowey • April 21, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Wikimedia Commons
    Image attribution tooltip

    ​How construction in 5 'mini megacities' fared during the pandemic

    The coronavirus couldn't dampen development in these small but mighty construction boomtowns. Here's where they stand today.

    By Kim Slowey • April 19, 2021
  • N/A
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Steelblue for the City of Sacramento / Perkins&Will.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Sacramento to transform historic train station into people-first mobility hub

    The city council approved the 31-acre Sacramento Valley Station Area plan, which will prioritize people over cars and is designed to be one of the state's most sustainable public places.  

    By Cailin Crowe • April 19, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The 12 most expensive US cities for construction

    Analysis also shows that previously high-volume sectors like retail and offices are being replaced by demand for data centers and mission critical facilities, according to a spokesperson from construction management firm Cumming.

    By Jennifer Goodman • April 16, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Wikimedia Commons
    Image attribution tooltip

    California wildfire plans limit development, builders say

    A $536 million measure from Gov. Gavin Newsom and a state Senate bill target where and how contractors can build, two construction advocacy groups said.

    By Joe Bousquin • April 13, 2021
  • flooding urban city climate change
    Image attribution tooltip
    SC National Guard. (2018). "180925-Z-XH297-1108" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Businesses urge Biden admin to set ambitious federal climate target

    Apple, Lime and hundreds of other businesses and investors signed a letter calling for the U.S. to cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.

    By Cailin Crowe • April 13, 2021