Blog » sustainable development
- May 6, 2009
Green Roofs in SF's Civic Center--and Around the World
BY LAURA TAM, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DIRECTORNational Geographic recently featured a photo essay of green roofs around the world. Featured projects included the Academy of Sciences (of course!), but also a Civic Center bus shelter that SPUR's green roofs task force worked hard to design and build. Diane Loviglio, a task force leader, came up with the idea that was later funded by the Academy as a way to bring green roofs to the pedestrian realm.
- April 4, 2009
It's Getting Wetter Around Here
A new report by the Pacific Institute reveals that a 1.4 meter sea level rise will inundate thousands of acres in California and impact almost half a million people by 2100. Hardest hit will be low income people and communities of color, the Bay Area in general, and critical infrastructure like ports, railways, and water treatment facilities. Property damage alone could cost $100 billion. The report makes recommendations for how to minimize the damages and plan ahead; it also contains great maps you can download.
- March 11, 2009
Skyscrapers are Green - Especially in California
Harvard economist Ed Glaeser blogs in the New York Times about why skyscrapers are the greenist form of development - particularly in California's mild climate. In his post he makes that case that urban living and working - often in high rises - is the greenest development form. See also Glaeser's article in City Journal. This post also reinforces SPUR's argument about adding jobs near transit in our future of downtown policy paper.
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