A basic guide for taking a more sustainable approach to rehabbing multifamily rental properties, focused on important changes that can be made while rehabilitating multifamily units. While this is not as exciting on the surface as new zero-energy buildings, efficiencies can be one of our greatest tools in reducing energy use, and encouraging efficiencies at the time of rehab may be the best time to capture those opportunities in rental buildings.

A Southeast Portland (Ore.) proposed district heating system could be a proof of concept for retrofitting neighborhoods with more efficient locally generated heat and power systems. It just needs some help from the city to move forward.

The World Sustainable Building (SB) Conference series, which has been held every three years, is the peak gathering of the world’s leading technical experts and researchers on sustainable built environments.

Last week, the California Building Standards Commission unanimously approved the nation’s first statewide green building code. The new rules will mandate that all new construction reduce energy use by 15%, water use by 20% and water for landscaping by 50%.

The Environmental Law Institute has issued a report providing a detailed review of selected municipal green building policies that address private-sector development. Covering all regions of the United States, Municipal Green Building Policies: Strategies for Transforming Building Practices in the Private Sector looks at more than 25 different municipal policies that (1) establish mandatory green building criteria; (2) provide expedited review as an incentive for green building, or (3) offer other direct financial incentives. The report provides an up-to-date reference and benchmark for municipalities interested in adapting or updating their green building laws and policies.

Buildings, their construction and maintenance, account for nearly half of U.S. energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. That means city councils and other code-setting entities are in the perfect position to make great strides in cutting energy use, and Architecture 2030 has tools to help.

This report, from the organization Architecture 2030, seeks a way to rapidly meet the goal of 350 ppm of atmospheric CO₂ and finds it in a coal moratorium and efficiency codes.

This week, Architecture 2030 released an unprecedented guide for every city, county and state in the nation to swiftly meet their greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets through existing building codes, asserting that meeting reduction targets through existing codes is the critical ‘missing piece’ to getting major reductions underway immediately.

Vancouver, B.C.'s EcoDensity policies have been the subject of much debate, but they've become a fixture of the city's political and planning landscape, even after the term of the mayor who promoted them.

The cities of Richmond and La Quinta, California are seeing the construction of solar-powered affordable rental communities. One is certified LEED gold; both add significantly to the amount of solar power installed and affordable housing available in each city.