New York City’s post-Hurricane Sandy resiliency efforts hailed as exemplar

The Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) says that many cities could learn from the post-Hurricane Sandy rebuilding efforts of New York City to better cope with the impact of climate change.

Sandy was a wake-up call that bared the city’s vulnerabilities to extreme climate events and prompted extensive resiliency efforts. In the storm’s aftermath, New York proceeded on the premise that it had enough information to act on climate change today based on the best-available science.

New York’s planning included aspects of the entire metropolitan region such as transportation, water supply, and other utilities. The city brought together government decision-makers, infrastructure managers, citizens groups, and others, along with researchers, to develop a shared understanding of its specific climate change vulnerabilities and climate science needs.

Other cities should follow this approach, UCCRN says, because climate change will impact cities around the world in different ways.

More universities are incorporating reinforced rooms in student housing designs to provide an extra layer of protection for students. Storm shelters have been included in recent KWK Architects-designed university projects in the Great Plains where there is a high incidence of tornadoes. Projects include Headington and Dunham Residential Colleges at the University of Oklahoma and the University Commons residential complex at Missouri S&T.

Seismic Design | Feb 27, 2023

Turkey earthquakes provide lessons for California

Two recent deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria offer lessons regarding construction practices and codes for California. Lax building standards were blamed for much of the devastation, including well over 35,000 dead and countless building collapses.

The Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience Pacific Institute

Sustainability | Feb 9, 2023

New guide for planning, designing, and operating onsite water reuse systems

The Pacific Institute, a global nonpartisan water think tank, has released guidance for developers to plan, design, and operate onsite water reuse systems. The Guide for Developing Onsite Water Systems to Support Regional Water Resilience advances circular, localized approaches to managing water that reduce a site’s water footprint, improve its resilience to water shortage or other disruptions, and provide benefits for local communities and regional water systems.

Concrete | Jan 24, 2023

Researchers investigate ancient Roman concrete to make durable, lower carbon mortar

Researchers have turned to an ancient Roman concrete recipe to develop more durable concrete that lasts for centuries and can potentially reduce the carbon impact of the built environment.