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Vertical Transportation | Aug 17, 2023

Latest version of elevator safety code has more than 100 changes

A new version of ASME A17.1/CSA B44, a safety code for elevators, escalators, and related equipment developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, will be released next month.

Codes and Standards | Aug 7, 2023

Cambridge, Mass., requires net-zero emissions for some large buildings by 2035

The City of Cambridge, Mass., recently mandated that all non-residential buildings—including existing structures—larger than 100,000 sf meet a net-zero emissions requirement by 2035.

Sustainability | Jul 27, 2023

USGBC warns against building energy code preemptions, rollbacks

In a recent editorial, the USGBC cited a growing number of U.S. state legislators who are “aiming to roll back building energy code standards and/or preempt local governments from advancing energy-efficient building codes.”

Codes and Standards | Jul 17, 2023

Outdated federal rainfall analysis impacting infrastructure projects, flood insurance

Severe rainstorms, sometimes described as “atmospheric rivers” or “torrential thunderstorms,” are making the concept of a “1-in-100-year flood event” obsolete, according to a report from First Street Foundation, an organization focused on weather risk research. 

Codes | Jul 10, 2023

Water Demand Calculator outperforms traditional plumbing codes for energy, carbon, and water savings

Using IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator tool can result in energy, carbon, and water savings as compared to using traditional plumbing specification methods in plumbing codes, according to a study by Arup.

Affordable Housing | Jun 27, 2023

Racial bias concerns prompt lawmakers to ask HUD to ban biometric surveillance, including facial recognition

Two members of the U.S. House of Representative have asked the Department of Housing and Urban Development to end the use of biometric technology, including facial recognition, for surveillance purposes in public housing. 

Urban Planning | Jun 15, 2023

Arizona limits housing projects in Phoenix area over groundwater supply concerns

Arizona will no longer grant certifications for new residential developments in Phoenix, it’s largest city, due to concerns over groundwater supply. The announcement indicates that the Phoenix area, currently the nation’s fastest-growing region in terms of population growth, will not be able to sustain its rapid growth because of limited freshwater resources. 

Multifamily Housing | Jun 6, 2023

Minnesota expected to adopt building code that would cut energy use by 80%

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is expected to soon sign a bill that would change the state’s commercial building code so that new structures would use 80% less energy when compared to a 2004 baseline standard. The legislation aims for full implementation of the new code by 2036.

Codes and Standards | Jun 2, 2023

Supreme Court drastically reduces wetland areas impacted by Clean Water Act

A recent Supreme Court decision that substantially narrowed the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate millions of acres of wetlands is expected to open more land for development. More than half of the nation’s wetlands could lose protection under the Clean Water Act, according to environmentalists and legal analysts.

Urban Planning | Shepley Bulfinch | Jun 2, 2023

Designing a pedestrian-focused city in downtown Phoenix

What makes a city walkable? Shepley Bulfinch's Omar Bailey, AIA, LEED AP, NOMA, believes pedestrian focused cities benefit most when they're not only easy to navigate, but also create spaces where people can live, work, and play.

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