Comments on: Also Blame Where The Buildings Are http://hugeasscity.com/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/ > so much wonderful packaged in such a mess Tue, 08 May 2012 11:36:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Two Things Americans Don’t Like | hugeasscity http://hugeasscity.com/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/comment-page-1/#comment-133 Two Things Americans Don’t Like | hugeasscity Thu, 01 May 2008 08:16:46 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/#comment-133 [...] The many benefits of compact development have long been recognized, and were first officially sanctioned in the State of Washington with the 1990 Growth Management Act. In more recent years, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been increasingly recognized as yet another advantage of compact development. The Seattle Reality Check was the nation’s first to include GHG emissions analysis for the development scenarios generated during the event. The team led by Mithun performed the analysis for three of the scenarios on the fly, and presented results showing significantly lower emissions for the densest development. [...] [...] The many benefits of compact development have long been recognized, and were first officially sanctioned in the State of Washington with the 1990 Growth Management Act. In more recent years, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been increasingly recognized as yet another advantage of compact development. The Seattle Reality Check was the nation’s first to include GHG emissions analysis for the development scenarios generated during the event. The team led by Mithun performed the analysis for three of the scenarios on the fly, and presented results showing significantly lower emissions for the densest development. [...]

]]> By: Some Rules Are Begging To Be Broken | hugeasscity http://hugeasscity.com/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Some Rules Are Begging To Be Broken | hugeasscity Sun, 06 Apr 2008 05:56:39 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/#comment-132 [...] But regardless of the context of that specific site, from the perspective of sustainability, the upzone is a no-brainer. Indeed, density in Seattle’s neighborhoods is a lot more controversial than it should be, given the City’s reputation for a green citizenry. It is indisputable that densification is a critical development strategy for achieving long-term sustainability. 23rd and Union is about a mile from the downtown core of one of the biggest cities on the west coast. If we can’t put a six-story building there, we can’t in good conscience utter another word about how green we supposedly are. [...] [...] But regardless of the context of that specific site, from the perspective of sustainability, the upzone is a no-brainer. Indeed, density in Seattle’s neighborhoods is a lot more controversial than it should be, given the City’s reputation for a green citizenry. It is indisputable that densification is a critical development strategy for achieving long-term sustainability. 23rd and Union is about a mile from the downtown core of one of the biggest cities on the west coast. If we can’t put a six-story building there, we can’t in good conscience utter another word about how green we supposedly are. [...]

]]> By: “We Don’t Know How to Get There” | hugeasscity http://hugeasscity.com/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/comment-page-1/#comment-131 “We Don’t Know How to Get There” | hugeasscity Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:13:29 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/#comment-131 [...] This morning I attended a breakfast meeting put on by the Urban Land Institute featuring a presentation by Ewe Brandes on their recently published book “Growing Cooler,” which details the relationship between housing density and greenhouse gas emissions (see related post here). The room was filled with the likes of Diane Sugimura and Joe Tovar, along with the typical ULI real estate development crowd and a smattering of architects. [...] [...] This morning I attended a breakfast meeting put on by the Urban Land Institute featuring a presentation by Ewe Brandes on their recently published book “Growing Cooler,” which details the relationship between housing density and greenhouse gas emissions (see related post here). The room was filled with the likes of Diane Sugimura and Joe Tovar, along with the typical ULI real estate development crowd and a smattering of architects. [...]

]]> By: Dan Staley http://hugeasscity.com/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Dan Staley Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:48:15 +0000 http://noisetank.com/hugeasscity/2008/01/13/also-blame-where-the-buildings-are/#comment-130 IIRC, that report (or a similar) showed that SFA uses far less energy than SFD (common walls lose less energy). I'm not familiar with building energy savings from "compact developments", unless the gains from res over commercial is factored in. We must also look at the savings of a 1500 sf home vs a 3000 sf home, energy losses through commercial fenestration or transparency code ("but it makes our streets walkable!!"), the fight the Rocky Mt News is waging against replacing incandescents with CFLs, drugging our youth by placing them in front of an electronic device, etc. These are easy wins to gain efficiencies (OK, maybe not taking away the Xbox, but still). But changing lifestyle choices as a solution, no. Not until we start charging for waste and real prices for energy. Will that happen? Maybe when Danny's kids are my age. Will it be in time? Eh. IIRC, that report (or a similar) showed that SFA uses far less energy than SFD (common walls lose less energy).

I’m not familiar with building energy savings from “compact developments”, unless the gains from res over commercial is factored in.

We must also look at the savings of a 1500 sf home vs a 3000 sf home, energy losses through commercial fenestration or transparency code (“but it makes our streets walkable!!”), the fight the Rocky Mt News is waging against replacing incandescents with CFLs, drugging our youth by placing them in front of an electronic device, etc.

These are easy wins to gain efficiencies (OK, maybe not taking away the Xbox, but still). But changing lifestyle choices as a solution, no. Not until we start charging for waste and real prices for energy. Will that happen? Maybe when Danny’s kids are my age. Will it be in time? Eh.

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