July 7, 2023
Types of Carbon in Buildings. Credit: CarbonCure
Let’s talk about decarbonizing the built environment.
Around the world, the buildings we live and work in are responsible for nearly half of all energy-related CO2 emissions. And since our global building stock is expected to double by 2060 (according to ASHRAE), it’s critical to push decarbonization in every phase of construction possible.
Just last month, McKinsey released a comprehensive assessment called Building Value by Decarbonizing the Built Environment. The Building Decarbonization Coalition is cataloguing state and local efforts at every part of a building’s life cycle.
Tackling policy is one critical approach to achieving these big goals. One city leading the way on this is New York (of course) — this past April, the NYC Department of City Planning proposed amendments, called City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality, to the city’s zoning resolution that would modernize the code to make it easier to meet climate goals. If you’re interested in learning more, Urban Green Council is hosting a Zoom webinar next week on Zoning for Decarbonization.
Is your city or state taking impressive measures? Feel free to hit respond — would love to hear your thoughts!
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MUST-READS
What It Takes to Convert a Multi-Million Dollar Office Into Housing [COOL VIDEO!] // WSJ
The Office-as-Playground is Dead. You Might Prefer What Comes Next // FastCompany
Bjarke Ingels Group, Deconstructed Studio Tour // Show it Better
Zoning won’t create Walkable Suburbs on its own. But one great block might // Happy Cities
US Housing Starts Surge Most Since 2016, Exceed All Estimates // Bloomberg
Commercial Real Estate Finds a Rare Bright Spot by Campuses // WSJ
Proptech’s Growing HR Role Aided by Labor Shortage, Remote Work // Commercial Observer
Sweden Wants to Build an Entire City from Wood // The Economist
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IDEA SPOTLIGHT
Hillside at O'Brien Farm
The development is called Hillside East, and it’s in South Burlington, Vermont. The neighborhood and its homes are designed with climate and storm resiliency in mind, and the homes won’t use any fossil fuels. The all-electric neighborhood will includes 155 single family and multi-family homes. The homes start at market rate in South Burlington, which is $500,000. The neighborhood is going to be used as a model of resiliency against climate change in Vermont.
Every Hillside East home will have Tesla Powerwalls and rooftop solar. The neighborhood will also have a community microgrid with utility-scale batteries for total backup power.
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