Alliance of Pittsburgh building owners slashes carbon emissions by 45%

The Pittsburgh 2030 District, an alliance of building owners in the Pittsburgh area, says that it has reduced carbon emissions by 44.8% below baseline.

Begun in 2012 under the guidance of the Green Building Alliance (GBA), the Pittsburgh 2030 District encompasses more than 86 million sf of space within 556 buildings.

The project has created a savings of $205.8 million in energy and water costs, and 1.85 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided since 2012, according to its 2022 Progress Report.

GBA provides participants with education, training, and guidance to further their progress, covering topics such as:

Conducting deep carbon retrofits on existing buildings to dramatically improve efficiency
Case studies of net zero carbon retrofits
Examples of whole building life cycle analysis
Embodied carbon
Facilitating building electrification to eliminate fossil fuel use, including replacing furnaces and boilers that run on natural gas with ground- or air-source heat pumps.
Thermal energy storage

Pittsburgh is the North American leader in amount of square footage committed to 2030 District goals. There are 22 international 2030 Districts in total.

Set to open in April, One River North is a 16-story, 187-unit luxury apartment building with private, open-air terraces located in Denver’s RiNo arts district. Biophilic design plays a central role throughout the building, allowing residents to connect with nature and providing a distinctive living experience.

Brunson Terrace all-electric affordable housing project in Santa Monica, Calif., designed by Brooks + Scarpa Photo courtesy Brooks + Scarpa

Affordable Housing | Mar 12, 2024

An all-electric affordable housing project in Southern California offers 48 apartments plus community spaces

In Santa Monica, Calif., Brunson Terrace is an all-electric, 100% affordable housing project that’s over eight times more energy efficient than similar buildings, according to architect Brooks + Scarpa. Located across the street from Santa Monica College, the net zero building has been certified LEED Platinum.

Banner illustration of buildings under construction in process

MFPRO+ News | Mar 12, 2024

Multifamily housing starts and permitting activity drop 10% year-over-year

The past year saw over 1.4 million new homes added to the national housing inventory. Despite the 4% growth in units, both the number of new homes under construction and the number of permits dropped year-over-year.

Affordable Housing | Mar 11, 2024

Los Angeles’s streamlined approval policies leading to boom in affordable housing plans

Since December 2022, Los Angeles’s planning department has received plans for more than 13,770 affordable units. The number of units put in the approval pipeline in roughly one year is just below the total number of affordable units approved in Los Angeles in 2020, 2021, and 2022 combined.

For The Variel in Woodland Hills, Calif., general contractor W.E. O'Neil used prefabricated wall panels to expedite construction. Photo courtesy W.E. O'Neil

MFPRO+ Special Reports | Mar 6, 2024

Top 10 trends in senior living facilities for 2024

The 65-and-over population is growing faster than any other age group. Architects, engineers, and contractors are coming up with creative senior housing solutions to better serve this burgeoning cohort.

Panorama Exterior of single-family rentals with wood and brick wall sections and sliding windows

Multifamily Housing | Mar 4, 2024

Single-family rentals continue to grow in BTR communities

Single-family rentals are continuing to grow in built-to-rent communities. Both rent and occupancy growth have been strong in recent months while remaining a financially viable option for renters.

Illustration House investment growth, Real estate, National Rent Forecast, AI generated

MFPRO+ News | Mar 2, 2024

Job gains boost Yardi Matrix National Rent Forecast for 2024

Multifamily asking rents broke the five-month streak of sequential average declines in January, rising 0.07 percent, shows a new special report from Yardi Matrix.