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©2009 Bank of America Corporation.
A mandate for change is a mandate for smart.
The world is ready for change — that much is clear. Smart healthcare systems are helping to lower the
cost of therapy by as much as 90%.
For leaders of all kinds, this moment presents a rare
opportunity. Our planet is not just getting smaller and Police departments are correlating street-level
flatter. It is also becoming smarter. And that means information from myriad observations and devices
we have the potential to change the way the world to identify crime patterns — helping prevent crime,
literally works. rather than simply punishing it.
Computational power is now being put into things we The list is long, and the transformation is just beginning.
wouldn’t recognize as computers — cars, appliances, Its benefits will be reaped not only by large enterprises,
cameras, roadways…even pharmaceuticals and but also by mid-sized and small companies — the
livestock. We are interconnecting all of this through engines of economic growth everywhere — and by
the Internet, which has come of age. And we are individuals and communities around the world.
applying powerful new systems and sophisticated
Imagine how a smarter planet will transform all the
analytics to turn oceans of data into insight, knowledge
things we seek. The ways we pursue economic
and intelligence.
growth, societal progress, environmental sustainability
Consider the changes already under way. and cures for disease. The way we interact with each
other and with the world.
Smart traffic systems are helping to reduce gridlock
by 20%, cutting pollution and increasing ridership on The opportunity is before us, and the moment will not
public transit. last forever. Will we seize it? As we look to stimulate
our economies and rebuild our infrastructure, will we
Smart food systems based on RFID technology
simply repair what’s broken? Or will we prepare for a
embedded into supply chains are monitoring meat,
smarter future?
poultry and other items from the farm to the super-
market shelf. Join us at ibm.com/think
A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at “Copyright and trademark information” at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.
IBM, the IBM logo and ibm.com are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.
Strategic insight.
Value driven.
www.reznickgroup.com
Atlanta | Austin | Baltimore | Bethesda | Birmingham | Charlotte | Chicago | Los Angeles | Sacramento | Tysons Corner
Building a
Commercial
empire?
Why It Pays to Read The Wall Street Journal
and WSJ.com/CommercialRealEstate
©2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 021809
build to suit lease for LEED
gold certified building eco-friendly resort group
eco-friendly resort
eco-friendly LEED
office leasing of LEED certified resort
certified development
Size
power plant permitting, A: Six Column
plasma investment in smart growth
gasification/renewableAd Space width: 15.00"
biomass to 13.04" development projects
Size A Size A
.8" 4p10 20.5 mm
63 Harnessing
the Wind
Jer ry W. Szata n
In recent years, the use of
wind power has grown rapidly 58
42 in the United States—and
is poised for greater growth
if transmission and political
42 a New Shade challenges can be met.
of Green
Mat t c a n t e r b ury 66 Developing
New design strategies, biofuel research
energy-efficient materials,
and innovative building
Facilities
r ob Lyn ch a n d
technologies are helping
r a Lf eLSa e SSer
take green mainstream.
The convergence of
environmental awareness,
48 regenerative scientific innovation, political
Design will, and entrepreneurship
JaSo n K i n g a n d has pushed forward the
51
S cot t e . th aye r development of alternative-fuel
Sustainable design and technologies.
planning strategies are
setting new standards 51 modeling 68 Q&a with
for green development High-Performance
projects that integrate buildings Green leaders
the social, economic, ro bert bo Li n c ha r LeS LocKWood 63
and environmental Sustainability and “Worldwide, we will see
needs of communities. modeling tools, which more nations forming green
enable multiple energy- building councils, and millions
efficient design strategies of buildings constructed or
to be evaluated in a retrofitted to green standards. O n t h e C O v e r : t h i n F l at s,
48
n e a r d Ow n t Ow n p h i l a d e l p h i a ,
august 2009 u r b a N la N D 11
august 2009 urbanland®
70 Land Writes
70 The Greening 72 China’s New Real 74 Global Investing:
of Egypt Estate Opportunities Keep it Simple
ma lcolm R iddell Pau l Phil l iPS
Sam al i
China presents new opportunities While the long-term strengths
Egypt intends to create a
for foreigners to invest in of regional economies may not
nationwide green building
Chinese real estate and for U.S. be clear, the short-term reality
code and to join the World
and western property owners of pricing core opportunities at
Green Building Council, an
to sell to Chinese investors. value-added prices is clear.
effort that presents daunting
Foreign investors are finding
challenges—and the possibility
opportunities not only in
of substantial rewards—to a
Chinese property and operating
developing country that wants to
companies but also in the
follow the path of sustainability.
assets owned by cash-strapped
western firms.
20 Developments 26 Dialogues
U.K. Approves Only One-Quarter of 26 Dialogue: Policy 34 Dialogue: Energy 82 In Practice
Ecotowns; Proposes Zero-Carbon Climate Change: The Good, Renewable Communities Sustainable Development
Standard by 2016 the Bad, and Obama at the Graduate Level
Su Sa n Fin e a n d
edwaR d t. m cma hon ca R olin e G. ha R R iS Joa n ca Pel in
The recently passed U.S. economic By increasing renewable energy Everyone’s talking about
stimulus plan includes numerous resources at a community level, the “green,” but who’s teaching
provisions—and billions of value of foreclosed homes could be it—and what’s being taught?
dollars—aimed at advancing the raised while reducing the carbon
energy and climate change agenda. footprint on a community-wide basis. 87 Solution File
20 28 Dialogue:
Climate Change
36 ULX 91 In Print, Etc.
Why Your World is About to
Betting on Market-Driven Residential Green Get a Whole Lot Smaller: Oil
Patrick L. Phillips Named
ULI Chief Executive Officer Solutions R on n yR en and the End of Globalization
ch and Ra n n a iR Ten multifamily housing
BREEAM Introduces New Hungry City: How Food Shapes
The global public good should not developments give high-density
Rating System for Sustainable Our Lives
be placed on the sacrificial altar of living an even greener spin.
Communities; Pilot Tests with
MediaCityUK in Manchester the private interests of unregulated 93 Trustee Profile
ULI Energy Efficiency Exchange
financiers. Governments, not solely
the market, should be involved in
76 ProActive
Set for Launch on Web 112 Back Page
alternative energy industries. 76 Capital Markets
Solar-Powered City in Sunshine Stimulus Package Recharges
Applying Responsible Investing Renewable Energy
State Sets Example for
Sustainable Design
30 Dialogue: to Green Building PeteR l. G Ray
Environment KiR K Sy KeS
The 2009 economic stimulus
Plans Unveiled in Chicago for A recent real estate investment
Q&A With Fred Krupp package has changed the
First Smart Grid for U.S. strategy emerging out of the
About Cap and Trade ground rules for investors.
Commercial Building smart growth and sustainability
Ro n nyRen Projects considered unthinkable
ULI Releases Recommendations movements takes green to the a year ago are now underway.
The president of the Environmental
for Transportation Reform next level by marrying business
Defense Fund talks about emissions
interests with environmental
Real-Time Carbon Counter cap-and-trade systems, the potential
and social goals. Departments
Launched in New York City for integrating renewable energy
16 Publisher Note
sources into buildings, and methods
First U.S. Solar Highway 19 This Issue
Installed in Oregon
for minimizing greenhouse gas 78 At Issue
emissions in the production of
Initiatives to Set Up
Recession Watch:
building materials.
Cap-and-Trade Programs 95 Regional
l Commentary: Hints of Recovery? JeR Ry w. Szata n Spotlight:
While federal legislation is being
debated, coalitions of states and
New York/
provinces have been developing Massachusetts
and implementing regional cap- 108 Advertisers Index
and-trade programs to control
greenhouse gas emissions.
12 U R B A N LA N D august 2009
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urbanland®
w w w. u l i .o r g / u r b a N l a N d
Vo l u m e 6 8 , N u m b e r 8
Publisher
Rachelle L. Levitt
rlevitt@uli.org
e d i to r i N C h i e f
Kristina Kessler
kkessler@uli.org
m a N ag i N g e d i to r
Karen Schaar
kschaar@uli.org
C o P y e d i to r s
James A. Mulligan
jmulligan@uli.org
David James Rose
drose@uli.org
a r t d i r e C to r
Betsy VanBuskirk
bvanbusk@uli.org
graPhiC desigNers
Anne Morgan
amorgan@uli.org
Byron Holly
bholly@uli.org
with the “Deal Doctors” at the uli fall Meeting in Urban Land® (ISSN 0042-0891) is published monthly
(except the combined November/December issue)
team of members, assembled by UlI to address your specific Opinions expressed in articles or columns appearing
in Urban Land are those of the author(s) or person(s)
issues. our Deal Doctors provide: quoted and are not necessarily those of Urban Land or
of the Urban Land Institute. Advertisements appearing
in the magazine do not constitute or imply endorse-
l In depth, project specific, pragmatic advice ment by Urban Land or the Urban Land Institute. Urban
Land assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage
of unsolicited manuscripts or graphics. The contents
l Interdisciplinary team of practitioners in the land use of this publication are protected by copyright and may
not be reproduced in whole or in part or in any form
without written authorization. Article proposals for
and real estate professions Urban Land can be sent by E-mail to Kristina Kessler
(kkessler@uli.org). Letters about articles and columns
published in Urban Land, as well as comments about
l Intimate, conversational format for creative thinking other topics of interest to its readers, can be sent by
E-mail to Karen Schaar (kschaar@uli.org). Submissions
are subject to editing for clarity, style, and length.
ApplicAtions due: September 30, 2009 • Fee: $3,500 Urban Land’s 2009 editorial calendar, editorial and
graphics specifications, and photo permission agree-
ment forms can be found at www.uli.org/urbanland.
to Apply or For more inFormAtion, contact tom eitler at To request permission to reprint Urban Land articles,
contact Lisa McNeil at lmcneil@uli.org.
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Postmaster: Send address changes and circulation
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14 u r b a N la N D august 2009
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publishernote W h o ’ s W h o at U L I
a n d t h e U L I f o U n dat I o n
ULI–the Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit educa-
tion and research organization that was founded
in 1936. Its mission is to provide leadership in the
responsible use of land and in creating and sus-
taining thriving communities worldwide.
ULI offIcers
Jeremy Newsum, Chairman
Randall Bone, Vice Chairman
Joseph E. Brown, Vice Chairman, Policy and Practice
Moving
W. Hummel; Wayne S. Hyatt; George Jautze; Harold S. Jensen;
and expanded multimodal strategies to
Cooler
Marty Jones; Neisen O. Kasdin; Gadi Kaufmann; Michael F. Kelly;
broaden travel options. Charles R. Kendrick, Jr.; Bernd Knobloch; Hakan Kodal; Cheong
Koon Hean; John Z. Kukral; Christopher W. Kurz; Robert C.
is of TrAn
sporTATio
n Land use changes that increase density Larson; Charles B. Leitner; C. Y. Leung; Randall W. Lewis; Robert
An AnAlys s for redu
cing
sTrATegie
gree nhou se gAs emiss
ions and proximity to jobs and that enable non- C. Lieber; James W. Light; Peter D. Linneman; Vincent H.S. Lo;
Robert J. Lowe, Sr.; Victor B. MacFarlane; Jay Mantz; George M.
Cambridge
Systematics,
Inc. motorized travel would provide a reduction Marcus; Paul Marcuse; John E. McNellis; Santiago Mercade;
of 6 to 9 percent in GHG emissions by 2050, Bruce E. Mosler; Barry G. Moss; Toshio Nagashima; Stephen
Moving Cooler found, constituting a significant P. Navarro; Daniel M. Neidich; Joseph W. O’Connor; Gerald N.
Parkes; Patrick L. Phillips; Olivier Piani; Stephen R. Quazzo; I.
component of the solution. Rocke Ransen; Wayne Ratkovich; Jonathan F.P. Rose; Kenneth T.
But, the ultimately frightening conclusion Rosen; Stuart M. Rothenberg; Randall K. Rowe; Mitchell E. Rudin;
Hitoshi Saito; P. Sheridan Schechner; Jonathan Short; Michael
of the research is that if all transportation and Spies; Geoffrey L. Stack; Martin E. Stein, Jr.; Robert S. Taubman;
land use policies were implemented at the J. Ronald Terwilliger; Anthony J. Trella; Marilee A. Utter; Greg J.
Vogel; John M. Walsh III; Carl Weisbrod; Kazuhiko Yamamoto;
highest level possible, carbon emissions would Smedes York; F. Karl Zavitkovsky; Jon H. Zehner
only be reduced by 35 percent by 2050—prov- U L I f o U n dat I o n
organizations, federal govern- ing how difficult it will be to achieve what is James D. Klingbeil, Chairman
Richard M. Rosan, Chief Executive Officer
ment agencies, the private sector, and foun- necessary to control global warming. Consider- Joseph E. Brown, Secretary
Harry H. Frampton III, Treasurer
dations, Moving Cooler should provide policy able changes to transportation systems and Peter S. Rummell, Past Chairman
makers the data to understand the implica- operations, travel behavior, land use patterns, U L I s e n I o r s ta f f
tions of decisions made to reduce GHGs. and public policy and regulations will be Richard M. Rosan, Chief Executive Officer
Cheryl G. Cummins, President, The Americas
Moving Cooler measures the potential effec- needed. The challenge will be for the public William P. Kistler, President, EMEA
tiveness of strategies to reduce GHGs against and private sectors to work toward making the (Europe/Middle East/Africa)/India
Michael Terseck, Chief Financial Officer/
a current trends baseline. The strategies hard decisions that will be required. Chief Administrative Officer
examined are: pricing and taxes; land use David Howard, Executive Vice President,
Development/ULI Foundation
and smart growth; nonmotorized transport; Rachelle L. Levitt Maureen McAvey, Executive Vice President, Initiatives
public transportation improvements; rideshar- Publisher U L I f e L LoW s
ing, car sharing, and other commuting strate- Stephen R. Blank, Senior Resident Fellow, Real Estate Finance
Michael Horst, Senior Resident Fellow, Leadership
gies; regulatory strategies; operational and Moving Cooler is available Tom Murphy, Senior Resident Fellow and
intelligent transportation systems; capacity for purchase from ULI’s ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development
Web site, www.uli.org. John K. McIlwain, Senior Resident Fellow and
expansion and bottleneck relief; and a more ULI/J. Ronald Terwilliger Chair for Housing
effective multimodal freight sector. Edward T. McMahon, Senior Resident Fellow and
ULI/Charles Fraser Chair for Sustainable Development
While increased automobile fuel efficiency
would seem to be a logical solution to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, in fact, increased
auto travel more than offsets expected sav-
16 U r b a n La n D august 2009
thisissue
A Low-Carbon Future
The Obama administration’s stimulus bill allo- plans to convert wave energy from the Pacific Ocean off
cates about 13 percent of its spending, or $104 billion, the coasts of California and Oregon into electricity. Sie-
to green initiatives. These include renewable energy, mens reportedly is developing the world’s first floating
smart grid, and energy efficiency programs; tax incen- wind turbine to open the deep ocean for wind farming.
tives and grants for renewable-energy technology On the materials side, nanotechnology is being
manufacturers and facilities; clean-water infrastructure explored for its potential to offer silicon-replacing mate-
improvements; improved public transit; and other rials to produce an inexpensive, portable solar energy
items. The administration’s new energy plan—which product and a carbon nanotube wire that can conduct
calls for reducing carbon emissions by 80 percent by electricity with no need to store energy. In addition,
2050, a possible cap-and-trade system for emissions, advanced modeling tools are enabling the evaluation
and a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency for cars and of multiple energy-efficient building design strategies in
trucks by 2016—will more directly affect the develop- record time.
ment industry.
While the pros and cons of a cap-and-trade system
are currently being debated, developers are looking at a
near future in which almost all new buildings will have
to be green and all existing buildings will have to be
more energy efficient, with a percentage of electricity
coming from renewable sources. In the switch to renew-
m+a arChiteCts
ables, the electricity grid will almost surely need to be
rebuilt, which will require federal financing and policy
action in land use, interstate law, and liability.
With cities around the world implementing new green Roughly $150 billion in global government stimulus
goals and standards, the pace of innovation in materi- spending has been proposed for clean energy projects.
als, clean technology, and green design is accelerating Yet, in a world where gas, coal, and electricity are still
rapidly, enabling development of healthier buildings cheap, the greatest challenge is finding the money to nur-
and the upgrading and retrofitting of existing stock. The ture the green energy industry until it becomes viable. As
U.S. Green Building Council predicts that the value of the credit crunch has caught up with the industry, many
green building construction will increase to $60 billion recent developments in energy efficiency have come to
a year in 2010 and that the green building market will be considered risky investments by the private sector.
reach $140 billion by 2013. In the first three months of this year, new investment in
In addition to solar and wind power, clean technolo- clean energy was down 53 percent from 2008. Invest-
gies being explored include biomass, geothermal energy, ment by venture capitalists in early-stage companies
radiant cooling, ocean thermal energy conversion, coal dropped 48 percent to $1 billion for the first quarter.
gasification, and nuclear fusion reactors. California’s Energy costs more than $1 trillion a year in the United
Mojave Desert is already home to the world’s largest States alone. When carbon is assigned a price by the
solar installations. Texas is planning an “energy highway” world’s governments, demand for carbon-free electricity
transmission grid to move wind energy from the west is expected to explode. The nation that leads the 21st-
Texas plains to urban centers. The proposed High Plains century global economy will be the nation that leads the
Express intends to deliver energy by integrating wind world in creating a new clean-energy economy. ULI can
projects in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. play a vital role in this new economy by partnering with
A $1.5 billion clean coal plant prototype called Future- worldwide agencies and city leaders to help plan for a
Gen, to be built with coal gasification technology by the low-carbon future.
U.S. Department of Energy in Mattoon, Illinois, will gener-
ate enough electricity to power up to 150,000 homes with Kristina Kessler
virtually no greenhouse gas emissions. Lockheed Martin Editor in Chief
august 2009 u r b a N la N D 19
develop U.K. Approves Only
field site. The others are on former
military and industrial land at St.
rently regulated by the building
regulations and other energy used
20 U r b a n La n D August 2009
ments
Patrick L. Phillips
we serve worldwide. At the same
time, we are starting to have a larger
and intellect, and who, as a long-
time member, is so devoted to the
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 21
developments
22 U r b a n La n D August 2009
l An online community in the form Syd Kitson, chairman and chief bonds, without the associated risks,
of interactive forums, with a site mod- executive officer of Kitson & Part- such as liability in civil lawsuits. Plans Unveiled in
erator to lead, monitor, and stimulate
conversations; the forum will be built
ners, a Florida-based real estate
company, says he is seeking to
Babcock Ranch is envisioned as
a proving ground for photovoltaics— Chicago for First
on the existing LinkedIn group. prove that a truly ecofriendly city a place where businesses, universi- Smart Grid for U.S.
l Webinars offering information
online on topics such as green
can be economically successful. He
acknowledges the challenges pre-
ties, and government can test and
implement their ideas. It also will Commercial Buildings
leases and sustainable financing. sented by the current market, but serve as a living laboratory where A $185.4 million smart grid pro-
l Blogs by invited experts. believes that his development will companies can evaluate sustainable gram that would deliver a utility-
A third phase, including online prove that sustainable communities technologies, as well as research scale, clean, virtual generator through
professional networking through the can be economically competitive. and develop their own solutions to implementation of smart grid technol-
MyULI online membership, will also The idea, says Kitson, is to first combat climate change. ogy in more than 260 commercial
be developed. establish the business center, then The design has been completed, buildings in downtown Chicago was
the community infrastructure—part but Kitson says several more steps announced early this month by the
alexandra noTay is director, research, of the strategy to ensure financial remain before the project moves Building Owners and Managers Asso-
ULI Europe. stability. To keep Babcock Ranch forward, including breaking logjams ciation (BOMA) of Chicago. To help
Those interested in offering a case study, commentary, or competitive, Kitson has established in the Florida legislature, which fund what would be the nation’s first
contributing to the site as an expert practitioner or peer a financing structure that includes recently failed to pass a bill that commercial office building smart grid
reviewer should contact Alexandra Notay at anotay@uli. as a major component a public/ would have established a standard program, BOMA/Chicago has applied
org or Josie Baum at jbaum@uli.org. private partnership with the state, for renewable energy technology in for $92.7 million in matching stimulus
ULI is seeking a number of other supporters to join which has agreed to manage the Florida. This provision would have funds from the U.S. Department of
Arup as primary project partners and allow the on nature preserve and appropriate given FPL the funding it needs for Energy’s Smart Grid Investment Pro-
going development of the Exchange site. Opportunities the revenues from logging, tourism, the photovoltaic facility, the keystone gram, which was formed under the
also exist for lower levels of support and recognition. For and other operations to upkeep of Babcock Ranch’s solar-powered
information, contact Brian Kilkelly at bkilkelly@uli.org or recently passed American Reinvest-
of the land. Because of this agree- design. Despite the current economic ment and Recovery Act.
Alexandra Notay at anotay@uli.org.
ment, no taxpayer money has been climate and political setbacks, Kitson BOMA/Chicago represents more
needed to support the property says he hopes to begin construction than 80 percent of the square
during the recession. The Florida of the photovoltaic facility during the
Solar-Powered City legislature also granted Babcock first quarter of next year.
footage and an estimated 1,000
megawatts of peak demand in the
in Sunshine State Ranch independent special district
status, allowing for certain financial adam maynard is studying urban studies at
city’s central business district. The
Sets Example for benefits, such as use of tax-exempt Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
virtual generator could provide as
much as 200 megawatts of demand
Sustainable Design response capability, lowering costs,
and eliminating the need to con-
Located alongside a 73,000-acre Set to include the world’s largest photovoltaic facility, Babcock Ranch near Fort struct expensive new generation
(30,000-ha) nature preserve, Bab- Myers, Florida, will be the world’s first city powered exclusively by the sun. plants. Annual energy cost reduc-
cock Ranch, a sustainable com- tions are estimated at $82 million,
munity planned near Fort Meyers, and carbon emissions are expected
Florida, will span 18,000 acres to be cut by 300 million pounds.
(7,300 ha) and include 19,500 The program calls for upgrading
homes surrounding a central busi- the buildings’ electricity metering
ness district with more than 6 infrastructure with smart meters that
million square feet (557,000 sq will communicate with a BOMA/
m) of retail and office space. A Chicago-run network operating
75-megawatt solar power plant cost- center (NOC) in real time. The NOC
ing $300 million to $400 million will will analyze electricity demand in
be located on 400 acres (160 ha) light of grid conditions and electric-
at the northern tip of the develop- ity market prices, then send sug-
ment and be managed by Florida gested response strategies back to
Power and Light (FPL). Smart-grid the buildings for implementation.
technology will help monitor system The program will enable commer-
efficiency and manage peak loads cial buildings to compete in mar-
by providing instant data streams kets formerly dominated by large
from all electrical outlets and remote central station generators.
access to them.
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 23
developments
“Our program will demonstrate
that demand-side resources, such ULI Releases R e a l e s TaT e R e T u R n s ?
as our commercial buildings, can
provide operating reserves, fre-
Recommendations for “We are now looking at one of those rare opportunities to invest
quency regulation, and capacity Transportation Reform in commercial real estate.”
in wholesale grid markets,” says
The upcoming reauthorization —Hessam Nadji, managing director, Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate investment
Michael Cornicelli, executive vice
of federal surface transportation adviser based in Encino, California, referring to properties that are located in places where
president of BOMA/Chicago.
legislation—the current legislation supply is constrained—otherwise solid properties now on sale because losses elsewhere are
expires in September—presents forcing owners to raise money.
24 U r b a n La n D August 2009
r e c e s s i o n wat c h
slowing” and noted that “conditions cantly by metropolitan area. Histori result in some unintended risks
Commentary: in financial markets have generally cally, an increase in home sales has and consequences, with the cur
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 25
dialoguepolicy
E Dwa r D T. M c M a h o n
26 U r b a n La n D August 2009
dies to encourage the use of renew- Under the plan, all classes of Analysis of Transportation Strategies thirds of the development expected
ables and to spur building upgrades. vehicles—from compact cars to for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emis- by 2050 is not yet built. Sticking to
Perhaps, most significant, Obama SUVs—will be required to make sions, published by the Urban Land the sprawling development patterns
announced in May a new plan to fuel-efficiency improvements. Institute in July. of the past will require more time
boost full efficiency standards for Automobile mileage will need to Given that most scientists now say spent behind the wheel.
new cars and trucks to an average of rise from an average of 27 mpg carbon emissions must be reduced by Compact, mixed-use communi-
35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This today to 39 mpg by 2016, while at least 80 percent from 1990 levels ties are a key to the future because
amounts to a 40 percent increase in truck mileage will have to jump by 2050, much more will be needed even when there is a need to drive,
fuel efficiency, up from an average from 23 mpg today to 30 mpg. than fuel-efficient cars. Americans there will be shorter and fewer trips.
of 25 mpg today. The new fuel-efficiency standards, will also need to drive a lot less. By building compact, mixed-use com-
The new standards also will impose together with the ethanol and biofuel “The projected 59 percent increase munities and by investing in green
—for the first time ever—a limit on requirements enacted during the in total miles driven between 2005 buildings and energy-efficient retrofits,
greenhouse gas emissions from vehi- Bush Administration, provide two and 2030 will overwhelm expected the real estate community can make
cles. The new requirements would of the three approaches needed gains from vehicle efficiency and low major contributions toward solving
eliminate tailpipe emissions of 890 to reduce carbon emissions from carbon fuels,” says Reid Ewing, the climate change problem. UL
million metric tons of greenhouse transportation—improved vehicle effi- transportation and urban develop-
Moving Cooler: An Analysis of Transportation
gases by bringing vehicle emissions ciency and low-carbon fuels. To make ment professor, city and metropoli-
Strategies for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emis-
down from roughly 400 grams per a meaningful dent in the emissions tan planning department, College of sions, and Growing Cooler: The Evidence on
mile today to 250 grams by 2016. problem, a third element is needed— Architecture and Planning, at Uni- Urban Development and Climate Change are
According to Scientific American reduction of vehicle-miles traveled versity of Utah in Salt Lake City. ULI published books available at www.uli.org/
(May 19), this is equivalent to taking (VMT) through improved urban growth The best way to reduce driving is bookstore, or call 800-321-5011.
177 million cars off the road—more patterns. The importance of sustain- to build compact, walkable, mixed-
than two-thirds of the entire U.S. able land development in mitigating use communities that encourage
automobile fleet—or shutting down climate change is highlighted in a walking, biking, and the use of
194 coal-fired power plants. research report, Moving Cooler: An public transportation. At least two-
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 27
dialogueclimatechange
ChanDran nair
28 U r b a n La n D August 2009
institutions that brought down Wall purse, not solely through financial ture emissions; China consumes 2.3 in Beijing by imposing restrictions on
Street through their preoccupation instruments designed to create dis- times its biocapacity and India, 2.2 car use on certain days of the week.
with maximizing profit. proportionate profits for the few who times. The global average available Public acceptance in China of this
Natural checks on rampant control capital flows. biocapacity per person is 5.2 acres policy promoting the greater good
consumption-driven growth Better strategies must be found (2.1 ha) per person, but the global illustrates that effective solutions to
exist, but the market, corrupted to combat climate change, but the average actual per-person footprint the climate crisis depend on taking
by perverse incentives and over- most obvious strategy is also the is as high as 6.7 acres (2.7 ha). actions free of political intervention
consumption, has ignored the least popular. Reducing emissions Americans require 23.2 global acres by vested interests.
warning signals. Those who hold requires rapid reduction in the con- (9.4 ha) on average, while residents The financial crisis demonstrated
the belief that there should be sumption of fossil fuels, and that of poorer countries require only one the need for strong government to
no limits on the market are living means accepting limits to growth to two acres (0.4 to 0.8 ha). protect the public good. In a resource-
in a fantasy world, and one can based on promoting relentless Until far-reaching regulations are constrained world, likewise, there is
hope that steadfast belief in market consumption. introduced to reduce emissions, the no substitute for sound regulations.
mechanisms is beginning to lose A close look at the unfettered true innovations needed to protect Policy makers must concede that
credibility. With global markets on ecological consumption patterns humanity will not surface. Draconian capitalism has met its nemesis in
shaky ground, governments have of countries shows that economic measures to make sustainability climate change and should not be
intervened to ensure stability. growth pursued under free-market operable are a key element because seduced by the market’s promise
The same should be the case for conditions allows the same type of few people act purely for the greater of a quick fix. UL
climate issues. The global public excesses that caused the financial good. Awareness and pious words See “Talking Global Sustainability with
good should not be placed on the crisis. Population and consumption do not constitute action. Chandran Nair” by Ron Nyren, July 2007,
sacrificial altar of the private interests patterns of three ecological-debtor Such measures, of course, are page 30.
of unregulated financiers. In the case countries are particularly telling: the easier to enforce under authoritarian
of climate change, clean-technology United States consumes 1.8 times its forms of government than in liberal
projects need funding, and that fund- national biocapacity—the area avail- democracies. China, for example,
ing should come from the public able to produce resources and cap- managed to reduce pollution levels
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 29
dialogueenvironment
ron nyrEn
30 U r b a n La n D August 2009
Can your roof
irrigate your landscape?
on ever y project, syska Hennessy combines the best minds with superior
technology to create high-performance solutions – for the built environment,
the human environment and the global environment we all share.
provides more choices. For instance, Yes, you get the most aggressive advocating doesn’t require that we teries that customers can use to
if the operators of coal plants can schedule of reduction that Congress all place our bets on even a few store excess power coming from
find a way to capture the gases will mandate, but you get it at a lower areas. I do think that there is enor- variable energy sources, such as
coming out of their stacks and cost, because the reductions are cap- mous near-term potential in solar solar or wind, saving it for use later
safely bury them and keep them tured from the areas that can do it energy over the next few years. The when the sun goes behind a cloud
locked up underground, that would the fastest. Lower costs create more costs are coming way down, thanks or the wind stops.
be allowed under the cap-and- political will to make the steeper to some of the policy initiatives in In New York City, Credit Suisse’s
trade system—as long as the U.S. reductions that scientists tell us are Europe. I see a lot going on in the offices at the Metropolitan Life
Environmental Protection Agency necessary. Under a system like this, geothermal industry as well. tower rely on an ice storage–based
scientists certify that they really are industries that are ready would con- air-conditioning system that uses
How much potential do you see
safely locked up. The trading mech- tribute bigger reductions earlier, and off-peak power to freeze ice, which
for integrating renewable energy
anism would allow coal plants the the ones that take longer to develop is then used to cool the building
sources into buildings?
option of buying allowances from practical technologies would con- during the day. The electricity is
I see a lot of potential. More and
elsewhere in the economy instead. tribute later on. cheaper, and the system requires
more businesses and homeowners
So I think the emitters are seeing less energy to operate than con-
Earth: The Sequel has chapters on are already integrating renewable
the very flexibility of the system as ventional air conditioning does.
solar energy, biofuels, ocean energy, energy generation into their build-
something that gets the job done
geothermal energy, and coal. In ings. Companies like Wal-Mart are What kinds of innovative building
while allowing them a future.
which of these realms do you see using third-party financing to inte- materials are showing the most
If technological advances are made the most innovative thinking or the grate rooftop solar power arrays into promise for helping to reduce
that significantly reduce greenhouse most readily effective solutions? their buildings. Wal-Mart doesn’t greenhouse gas emissions?
gas emissions at low cost in certain The reality that I found as we pay for the panels or own them, it Other than fossil fuel consump-
industries, others can still operate researched the book is that there just commits to buy the electricity tion, cement manufacture is the
by purchasing offset credits until are hundreds of alternatives. It’s not at a set price for 20 years. biggest source of carbon dioxide
similarly cost-effective technological just one area that can contribute, Gridpoint is a company in Wash- emissions in the country. If we can
advances become available for them? and the policy proposal that we are ington, D.C., that makes smart bat- make cement with different materi-
32 U r b a n La n D August 2009
als, such as fly ash, we can reduce
carbon dioxide emissions.
There are structural insulated
panels available to build homes—
PARKING...
THE PROJECT & PROFIT KILLER
these are prefabricated panels, a
sandwich of insulating foam and
fiberboard that uses far less energy Use our secret weapon to put parking in its place.
to make than traditional building
materials. And because they are
insulated, they reduce energy use
over the life of the building.
Conventional drywall is responsible
for 12 million tons (10.9 million metric
tons) of carbon dioxide emissions
globally every year. In the book, we
talk about Serious Materials in Sunny-
vale, California, which is making an
alternative product called EcoRock and
claims that manufacturing it doesn’t
require the extensive use of external
heat sources that drywall production
does. There’s also a company called
Calera Corporation in Los Gatos, Cali-
fornia, that claims it has a process for
capturing the carbon dioxide emitted
in the fumes produced by natural gas
power plants—and then using that
carbon dioxide to make cement.
The best sites for building large-
scale wind farms and solar power
plants are often far away from
population centers. What are some Boomerang’s patent-pending RoboticValet™ system saves
of the challenges of developing the
transmission infrastructure to bring valuable real estate by parking twice the cars in the same
renewable energy to the places that amount of space as a conventional ramp garage.
need it most?
We need to identify corridors where Unlike steel “rack & rail” systems, Boomerang’s revolutionary
we can safely put in new transmis-
sion lines. Our Texas office has
RoboticValet™ system utilizes traditional concrete decks -
worked closely with the Southwest allowing for easy approvals, increased throughput, maximum
Power Pool Electric Energy Network, design flexibility, and the comfort of knowing your car is
a regional transmission organization
based in Little Rock, Arkansas, to never parked more than one inch off solid concrete.
push legislation to create what are
called competitive renewable energy
Pick up the phone now, while it’s on your mind, and
zones (CREZs) for new transmission
lines in places where renewable call (800) 250-2412.
energy sources are plentiful, but
go untapped because they’re not
accessible to cities. It’s important
that environmentalists not be just
critics of the past, but also architects
of the future. We have to do more
than just say what isn’t good—we
have to be willing to come forward U.S. Made www.boomerangsystems.com
and say what is good. UL
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 33
dialogueenergy
S U S a n F i n e a n D
CaroLine G. HarriS
Renewable Communities
The homes foreclosed during A federal program to support the startup costs to other community
By increasing renewable the U.S. subprime crisis tend to be installation of renewable energy renewable energy projects.
energy resources clustered in discrete—and histori- technology at the community level Such a program could start as a
cally poor—neighborhoods across would enable this model to be vehicle to provide improvements,
at the community level, the the country. Last year, the U.S. implemented. Although the gov- jobs, and renewable energy to neigh-
Congress enacted the Housing and ernment has in place a tax credit borhoods that were taken advantage
value of foreclosed homes Economic Recovery Act (HERA) to to help homeowners incorporate of by unscrupulous lenders. It could
could be raised while reducing stabilize these vulnerable neighbor- solar energy, even the wealthiest result in a model for renewable energy
hoods. The plan, designed by the homeowners find the upfront costs at the local level for the rest of the
the carbon footprint on a National Community Stabilization too high and the benefits too long country’s communities.
Trust, is to move the foreclosed term. The costs to individual home- For example, a distressed neigh-
community-wide basis. residences from banks to local gov- owners become affordable only borhood in Atlanta is able to effec-
ernment or not-for-profit ownership when a critical mass of homes in a tively use solar power. Because the
for rehabilitation, and then back to specific community is being retrofit- installation of solar panels is now
homeownership. ted, allowing for economies of scale. happening across a neighborhood,
Retrofitting the dwellings for With existing incentive programs, the the cost of installation per home—
energy savings is being considered upfront cost of retrofitting and provid- whether paid for by a federal grant
as a requirement. But, the cost of ing renewable energy to 1,000 homes or by the homeowner—becomes
energy investment combined with is estimated at between $5,000 and more manageable, and paperwork
the Herculean chore of moving $10,000 per home. and bureaucratic demands are
these residences off banks’ balance These amounts are less than 5 streamlined. The energy consumed
sheets will likely eclipse the primary percent of the face value of most of by these homes decreases due to
goal of ensuring long-term value the foreclosed mortgages, and they retrofitting and consumer aware-
to the homes. Providing renewable are much less than the amounts ness, and the supply of energy
energy to the communities where being written off the mortgages by comes from a local renewable
these dwellings are clustered is the banks. However, these upfront source. These savings make the
not even on the radar screen—but installation costs would still be out homes more affordable for new
it should be. The concentration of of reach for the people who live in occupants. As a result, the entire
large numbers of homes in each the communities where foreclosures community could participate in
distressed neighborhood is the key are concentrated. There is a need generating and using a new—
to developing a pilot for delivering for federal support. renewable—supply of energy.
solar and other greening strategies The U.S. Department of Energy, By greening, jobs are created.
at economies of scale. the U.S. Environmental Protection Where possible, public and private
A neighborhood-oriented renew- Agency, and the U.S. Department of buildings add green roofs, and vacant
able energy strategy, in conjunction Housing and Urban Development lots are turned into community gar-
with the implementation of the HERA, should coordinate their activities to dens. These combined efforts have
can reduce bureaucratic hurdles, achieve this goal, first as a model the potential of promoting sustain-
facilitate citing and bulk discounts project, then as a pilot program. ability and reducing the carbon foot-
for equipment and installation, and The funding should support feasibil- print of an entire neighborhood. UL
generate local green jobs. Energy ity studies, startup costs, and initial
SuSan Fine , a real estate professional (left), and
Caroline G. HarriS , a land use attorney
costs would be reduced for each of infrastructure purchases. Once the
(right), founded Renewable Communities (www. the homes in the program. Other renewable energy projects are up
renewablecommunitiesinc.com) to help communities homeowners in the neighborhood and running, any revenues derived
and institutions develop comprehensive energy who kept their residences through from selling power back to the
conservation plans that are capable of practical the crisis could join the network as grid could be returned to a revolv-
and cost-effective implementation. well, at affordable costs. ing grant fund that would provide
34 U r b a n La n D August 2009
Stimulating the Economy through Energy Retrofits
The recent steep decline in U.S. residential construction employment But much more is needed to put the nation’s unemployed contractors
suggests this sector would be a good target for job creation through a gov- back to work improving the energy efficiency of older homes. In particular,
ernment stimulus program. With large inventories of unsold homes in many there is a need for a robust program of low-cost financing—using U.S. Fed-
markets, however, it is hard to argue that the government should prime the eral Housing Administration insurance or other credit enhancement—that
pump for new construction. But the construction of new homes is not the would allow much of the $100 billion in energy-efficient improvements to
only form of residential construction activity; the government could put laid- be financed. Low-cost financing combined with an extended payback period
off construction workers to work improving older homes’ energy efficiency. could allow homeowners to pay for the improvements with their monthly
A massive program to improve the energy efficiency of older residences savings from lower utility costs. Owners of rental units with individual meter-
would reemploy hundreds of thousands of unemployed workers in the ing may have to charge somewhat higher rents to cover the financing costs,
construction and related trades. At the same time, it would substantially but these rent increases would be offset by lower utility costs.
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, improve energy secu- A second priority is a more robust and effective tax credit. The
rity, and reduce utility costs for millions of Americans. recently passed recovery package strengthened the existing tax credit for
How much would such an undertaking cost? A research brief issued by energy-efficient rehab, but the reimbursement rate is still only 30 per-
the Washington, D.C.–based National Association of Home Builders last cent, with a strong focus on the installation of big-ticket items like fur-
October estimated that $100,000 of housing rehabilitation supports about naces and windows. This will surely benefit many higher-income families
half of a construction/specialty trade worker for a year, plus another half of who choose to undertake home improvements, but it is hard to believe
a worker for a year, spread out among jobs in manufacturing, transportation, that a 30 percent credit is enough to induce moderate-income homeown-
and the like. This means that $1 billion would support jobs for roughly 5,400 ers, with incomes just above the 200 percent of poverty limit for weath-
construction workers, plus 5,700 workers in supporting fields, and $100 bil- erization funding, to undertake the needed repairs.
lion would support jobs for 540,000 construction workers and 570,000 work- To reach moderate-income families, the tax credit needs to reimburse
ers in manufacturing, transportation, and other supporting fields. a much larger share of qualifying costs. How about a tax credit equal to
Amortize this $100 billion over a two-year period to give the workers 75 percent of the cost of qualifying improvements with the same $1,500
time to do all the work and provide support for what is likely to be a pro- maximum credit that we have now? At the same time, it is important to
longed downturn, and two years of employment can be supported for some make sure a parallel incentive is in place to improve the energy efficiency
270,000 construction workers, and another 285,000 workers in supporting of rental units and that it is clear that labor costs and the costs of simple
fields, for a grand total of 555,000 jobs directly supported for two years. Tens low-tech solutions like caulking are covered. This would provide a strong
of thousands of additional jobs could be created from the spillover effect on incentive for owners to undertake the first $2,000 in repairs. Once con-
communities that results when the workers spend their salaries. tractors are on the scene, and low-cost financing is easily available, it is
Could $100 billion possibly be spent on energy-efficient retrofits? A recent likely that additional work will get done.
analysis by officials at the EPA Energy Star program found that the average Finally, we need to address the need for energy-efficient improvements
costs of energy-efficient home modifications using the industry-leading home in privately owned subsidized housing. Funding to improve the energy
performance with Energy Star approach was $7,000. (Estimates based on pro- efficiency of this important component of the housing stock was included
grams to weatherize homes occupied by low-income families are lower, but in earlier versions of the economic recovery package, but was drastically
the home performance estimates seem more relevant to large-scale efforts reduced in the final bill. We should also determine if additional funding is
to modify homes of varying income levels.) Thus, $100 billion would enable needed to complete energy-efficient improvements in public housing and
about 14.3 million homes to be modified. Assuming lower per-unit costs rental units occupied by families with federal housing vouchers.
to improve the energy efficiency of multifamily units—say, half the $7,000 Where will the funding come from? In short: the climate change bill.
average for single-family homes—would increase the number of housing At present, Congress is considering climate change legislation that is
units that can be served to about 16.4 million. That is roughly 15 percent of expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and raise billions for
all occupied residential units, 21 percent of all occupied housing units built investments in energy efficiency and alternative energy by putting a
earlier than 1985, and 28 percent of units built before 1975. price on carbon emissions. By using a portion of the funds generated
Roughly one-fifth to one-fourth of the nation’s older housing stock through this process for energy-efficient home improvements, Congress
needs energy-efficient improvements. The U.S. Congress has already could help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted and improve
allocated $5 billion for weatherization of low-income homes and another housing affordability by lowering families’ utility costs—all while stimu-
$6 billion for state and local energy-efficiency programs in the American lating the economy by providing desperately needed construction jobs.
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Additional funds are included JEFF lubEll is executive director of the Center for Housing Policy in
for energy-efficient improvements in public housing, energy-efficient tax Washington, D.C.
credits, and other provisions.
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 35
ulx Residential Green
ron nyren
Multifamily housing is intrinsi- sited close to public transit and mainstream the incorporation of
Ten multifamily housing cally green, making more efficient fitted with design measures that significant green building strategies
developments give high- use of land and infrastructure, lower energy and water bills have into all multifamily developments,
lowering individual energy bills an additional edge over their con- not mainly those aimed at the
density living an even with less heat loss per unit, and ventional counterparts. luxury market or at the affordable
requiring fewer building materi- Being close to neighborhood- housing sector.
greener spin. als per unit. With renters and serving retail as well as pedestrian-
homebuyers becoming more cost- and bike-friendly environments are Ron nyRen is a freelance architecture and urban
conscious in the current economic essential as well to allow residents design writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
climate and more aware of envi- to reduce their reliance on cars.
ronmental issues, developments One of the challenges ahead is to
Tim CroCker
1. Accordia Housing
CambriDge, engLanD, UniteD KingDom
Close to Cambridge’s city center, a site formerly occupied by bicycle and pedestrian paths. Each unit has dedicated bicycle
dilapidated, single-story 1940s-era government office buildings is parking, and the project is close to public transit and the city
being converted for high-density living. Feilden Clegg Bradley Stu- center. Precast concrete construction provides high thermal
dios of Bath, England, master planned the 23.5-acre (9.5-ha) site mass, supplemented by significant insulation to cut energy
for developer Countryside Properties of Brentwood, Essex, Eng- costs. Whenever possible, timber used in construction came
land, and designed the majority of the buildings, which altogether from sources certified by the Bonn, Germany–based Forest
include 378 residential units in a variety of building types, includ- Stewardship Council. Green roofs, permeable paving, swales,
ing apartment blocks, rowhouses, and semidetached homes. and reed beds enhance stormwater retention and filtration.
The design preserved more than 700 mature trees, with resi- The first phase was completed in 2006.
dences overlooking a variety of shared green spaces linked by
36 U r b a n La n D au g u s t 2 0 0 9
2. Carabanchel 19
maDriD, Spain
As a way to accommodate Madrid’s fast-growing population—fueled by economic
growth and an influx of immigrants—the city’s housing authority, Empresa Munici-
pal de la Vivienda y Suelo, has been pairing foreign architecture firms with local
ones to bring fresh thinking to high-density public housing. In Madrid’s Carabanchel
suburb, Sheppard Robson of London teamed up with ACP Arquitectos of Madrid
to design the 107-unit Carabanchel 19. The five- and six-story blocks are organized
around three courtyards that maximize natural light and contain landscaping and
pools of water that cool the air.
A screen of white aluminum louvers wraps the entire exterior, providing protec-
tion from solar heat gain and wind. For individual control of their environment,
residents can adjust louvers above the balustrade level of their balconies. Con-
crete frame-and-slab construction and insulated walls work in combination with
Dennis gilberT
extra-thick roofs to moderate temperatures. Rooftop solar thermal panels heat
the building’s water. The project was completed in 2006.
developer Arctos & Bird Enterprises, Cave Avenue was designed by William
McDonough + Partners of Charlottesville, Virginia, with IBI Group Architects of
Calgary as architect of record. The homes are paired with the mixed-use Bison
Courtyard at Bear Street, which includes retail and restaurant space as well as
residences and was completed a year later for the same developer.
4. Elleven
LoS angeLeS, CaLifornia
A few blocks from the Staples Center, the 13-story Elleven includes 176 studio,
one-bedroom, and two-bedroom lofts and penthouse units as well as nine two-
story live/work townhomes. Designed by Ankrom Moisan Associated Architects
of Portland, Oregon, and completed in 2006, Elleven received Gold certification
from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design (LEED) green building rating system for sustainable measures, such as
operable floor-to-ceiling windows for natural ventilation and daylight, water-
saving fixtures and landscaping, odorless paint, and other low-emitting materi-
als and finishes.
Residents received memberships in a car-sharing program and have access
©2009 laWrenCe anDerson/esTo
to on-site bicycle parking. The base of the building offers ground-floor retail
as well as gardens, paseos, plazas, and water features. Elleven is one of a
trio of LEED-certified condominiums completed in the South Park neighbor-
hood in recent years by local developer South Group.
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 37
ulx
5. Gish Family Apartments
San JoSe, CaLifornia
The Gish Family Apartments project addresses two
challenges: the high cost of housing in the Bay Area
and the scarcity of family housing in urban areas.
The 35 units include efficiencies as well as two- and
three-bedroom apartments, all renting to households
earning between 35 and 50 percent of the area
median income. Thirteen units are reserved for resi-
dents with developmental disabilities. The building
includes a computer center for residents as well as
a ground-floor convenience store and beauty salon.
Residents receive a free transit pass.
The redevelopment of a former gas station site, the
building includes rooftop photovoltaics; low-flow water
fixtures; low-emitting adhesives, paints, and sealants;
and highly insulated windows and walls. Designed by
the Office of Jerome King, a local architecture firm, for
local nonprofit developer First Community Housing, the
bernarD anDre
6. Intervale Green
bronx, new yorK
In the Bronx’s Charlotte Gardens Urban Renewal
Area, the local nonprofit organization Women’s
Housing & Economic Development Corporation
has cleaned up a long-vacant brownfield and built
128 units of housing for households earning 60
percent of the area median income. Because of the
high asthma rate in the neighborhood, improving
air quality was a concern: interiors make use of
low-emitting adhesives, paints, and sealants and
formaldehyde-free particleboard, while green roofs,
two landscaped courtyards, and more than 40 new
street trees remove carbon dioxide from the air
and soak up rainwater.
Other sustainable measures include low-flow
water fixtures, high-efficiency water boilers, and
high-recycled-content flooring. Marble and Italian
porcelain tile was diverted from the landfill and
donated for use throughout. Designed by Edel-
man Sultan Knox Wood Architects of New York
City, Intervale Green incorporates elements such
as red brick, decorative cornices, and ironwork
that reflect the architectural traditions of the
Bronx. The ground floor comprises commercial
Tom ligamari
38 U r b a n La n D au g u s t 2 0 0 9
7. Pine Ridge Townhomes
KetChUm, iDaho
To blend into the surrounding neighborhood of single-
family and multifamily housing, the Pine Ridge Town-
homes development consists of two- and three-story
structures designed to resemble large single-family homes
in their massing. They are arranged around a central open
space to enhance views and daylight penetration into the
living areas, with a water feature, barbecue pavilion, and
play area. Completed in 2006, Pine Ridge includes 32
units: 19 are for-sale market-rate units and 13 are deed-
restricted community housing units for households earn-
ing 80 percent of the regional median income.
Window placement, overhang design, and building
orientation are intended to maximize heat gain during
cold months. Solar tubes bring sunlight into kitchens,
bathrooms, and internal circulation areas. Other sustain-
able strategies include radiant heat; nontoxic adhesives,
cabinets, paints, and stains; high levels of insulation;
and native, drought-tolerant landscaping. Close to public
living arChiTeCTure
8. RiverClay
Denver, CoLoraDo
Making solar power more affordable to home-
buyers is a continuing challenge. Buyers of con-
dominiums at RiverClay in Denver, Colorado, were
able to take advantage of not only federal solar
tax credits and utility rebates, but also a mortgage
that includes the cost of each unit’s share of the
photovoltaic system of 30 rooftop 1.26-kilowatt
solar modules. Completed in 2008 for Zocalo
Development of Denver and designed by John
Gagnon of Samuel Engineering in Greenwood Vil-
lage, Colorado, the six-story, 60-unit RiverClay proj-
ect is located across from a seven-acre (2-ha) park
a couple of blocks north of Invesco Field stadium.
Nine of the condos are earmarked for households
earning 80 percent of the area median income.
RiverClay has been awarded LEED Silver certifica-
tion for features such as water-efficient fixtures,
reflective roofing to reduce solar heat gain, a high-
efficiency mechanical system, highly insulated
ZoCalo DeveloPmenT
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 39
ulx
9. Thin Flats
phiLaDeLphia, pennSyLvania
Located among the rowhouses of Philadelphia’s Northern
Liberties neighborhood, close to downtown, the Thin
Flats live up to their name: each of the eight two-story
duplexes, stacked in pairs, is only 18 feet (5.5 m) wide.
Facing the street, the complex presents a double facade:
a rhythmic composition of glass and metal panels punc-
tuated with openings stands three feet (1 m) in front of
the inner facade, providing shade and a sense of unity.
The top of the building supports both a green roof
and solar thermal panels for heating the building’s
water. A stormwater collection system brings water into
a cistern for use in irrigation. Inside, the concrete floors
are equipped with radiant heating. Skylights, open
internal layouts, and interior glass walls and staircases
allow natural light to penetrate throughout. Materials
were sourced from providers within a five-mile (8-km)
range. The creation of local development/design/build
collective Onion Flats LLC and its architectural firm com-
ponent Plumbob LLC, Thin Flats was completed in 2008
mariko reeD
and is awaiting LEED Platinum certification.
40 U r b a n La n D au g u s t 2 0 0 9
C ommitted to making a difference
Creating sustainable places to live, work and play is our mission, which over
three hundred EDSA staff members work to achieve each and every day. Our
goal is simple - to improve the way the world looks, one project at a time, with
integrity, inspiration and professionalism. After all, it’s what we’ve been practicing
for nearly 50 years.
www.edsaplan.com
(USA) Inc. or any of their affiliates. 5th Rock, LLC uses the Hard Rock trademarks under license agreement, which license agreement
an offer in any jurisdictions where prior registration or other advance qualification of real property is required. Some jurisdictions
solicit in that jurisdiction. Responses to inquiries in such jurisdictions may be prohibited or limited. The hotel condominium units a
Void Where Prohibited by Law. This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell real property. The information provided in th
H ERE’S TO
5 reasons
to take your life off hold.
T O O S M A R T T O FA I L .
T O U G H M A R K E T S D E M A N D S H R E W D M A R K E T I N G , T H E K I N D T H AT C A N T U R N H E A D S A N D C H A N G E M I N D S .
A New Shade
42
of
U r b a n La n D
gree
august 2009
urbanland
Matt CanterbUry
n
and technologies into their everyday work reveals
the power and presence of green design.
The dramatic growth of the U.S. Green Building
Council (USGBC) is evidence in itself that green de-
sign and development have entered the industry’s
mindset. From about 500 members at the beginning
of the decade, the organization’s membership has
istoCKphoto.CoM
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 43
The USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environ- The pace of innovation is accelerating, including
mental Design (LEED) guidelines have become more in wind power, increasingly sophisticated photovol-
expansive and sophisticated over the years, setting taic cells that capture solar energy, use of thermal
universal standards that have helped promote and and radiant heating to heat water and for climate
popularize green construction. In the United States, control, turnstile door–powered engines and eleva-
buildings account for 72 percent of electricity con- tor counterweights that capture and store potential
sumption, 39 percent of energy use, 38 percent of all energy, and a growing selection of recycled and sus-
carbon dioxide emissions, 40 percent of raw materials tainably harvested materials.
use, 30 percent of waste output (136 million tons a Landscape efficiency is increasing with advances
year), and 14 percent of potable water consumption, in smart irrigation, including moisture sensors and
according to the USGBC. In addition, the council pre- weather stations that incorporate weather forecasts
dicts that the green building market will nearly triple into water-saving, energy-efficient systems that can
in size over the next few years, reaching $96 billion to save 30 to 60 percent on irrigation costs. Daylight
$140 billion by 2013. By next year, the value of green sensing and timers provide programmable control of
building construction is projected to increase to $60 lighting components, and designs that take better
billion, and the market for green building products is advantage of daylight and ambient light are prolif-
projected to reach $30 billion to $40 billion a year. erating. Sunshades and programmable louvers can
Cities everywhere are implementing comprehensive respond to environmental cues to adjust to maximize
new environmental goals and standards for commer- natural lighting and reduce reliance on heating and
cial and residential development. air-conditioning systems. A host of new materials,
A closer look at the specific ideas and technologies such as healthier paints, finishes, and adhesives, and
attracting attention reveals an intriguing aspect of the carpets that use recycled fibers and ecofriendly dyes,
green revolution—the degree to which sustainable, have contributed to cleaner and healthier buildings.
energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly materials Upgrades and renovations have made retrofitting
and technologies have helped spur an architectural a viable option. Updates to the U.S. Custom House
design renaissance. The realization that green design in lower Manhattan, for example, included redesign
is good design has spurred renewed interest in the of the building’s lighting to accentuate the structure’s
practical application of sustainable strategies, recycled grandeur. The addition of light-emitting diode–based
and renewable materials, and new energy-efficient tech- fixtures cut energy consumption by 43 percent and is
nologies and design innovations. It also has motivated expected to save $6,654 a year in electrical expenses,
builders, architects, and designers to increase invest- plus the fixtures have a life expectancy 25 times longer
ment in the pursuit of effective products and ideas. than traditional incandescent bulbs. Wal-Mart and other
The increasingly favorable cost/benefit equa- retailers have promoted the sale of compact fluorescent
tion has helped create a vital marketplace for green light bulbs (CFLs), another longer-lasting and energy-
ideas. But assessing a product’s potential in terms efficient lighting option; replacing one conventional
of practical utility and financial viability is only part bulb with a CFL can save up to $30 in electric costs over
of the equation. Today’s green architect needs to be the lifetime of the bulb. Wal-Mart plans to add solar
equal parts designer, engineer, and conservationist, panels at ten to 20 stores in California within the next
and must have a more sophisticated skill set in order 18 months; 18 of its stores already use solar energy.
to be able to balance traditional ideas about space, Studies have shown that natural lighting not
light, utility, and visual appeal in the context of a only lowers energy bills, but also leads to better
rapidly expanding palette of promising materials and performance by employees and better test scores
technologies. Some firms already devote resources to for students. The academic performance of students
keeping abreast of new developments in technology in schools with abundant natural light is 20 percent
and green design, and are working closely with green higher than students in schools lacking natural
manufacturers and suppliers of sustainable and lighting. Wal-Mart found that registers positioned to
recycled materials to stay informed. receive more natural light consistently had higher
44 U r b a n La n D august 2009
mainstreaming
Green
M+a arChiteCts
M+a arChiteCts
M+a arChiteCts
Currently in the design stage, the corporate headquarters for an energy co-op in central
Ohio has a sustainable site design that includes a natural bioswale for stormwater
treatment, evaporative cooling from a reflecting pool, extensive green roof systems, and
terraced facades allowing natural daylight to penetrate the interior of the building.
sales. Use of low-volatile-organic-compound (VOC) design maintains strict safety and reliability stan-
paints and other low-VOC building materials can dards while reduced use of steel allows manufactur-
decrease incidence of asthma and allergies and ers to cut labor costs and manufacturing time in half.
improve the health and productivity in offices. With Modular housing shows promise as a sustain-
rising numbers of insurers acknowledging the finan- able development strategy. This approach not only
cial benefits of a healthier workplace by rewarding facilitates precise control over materials and finishes,
companies with lower insurance premiums and other but also eliminates a significant amount of mate-
financial incentives, the motivation to go green in the rial waste and can speed up construction by up to
workplace has never been stronger. 50 percent for most projects. Because many of the
A team of researchers at North Carolina State components can be assembled before they reach
University recently developed a new design approach the construction site, much of the building site and
that requires 30 percent less reinforcing steel in the adjacent land can be kept nearly in its original state,
manufacture of certain concrete beams commonly allowing retention of mature trees, grasslands, wet-
used in construction of parking garages. The new lands, and other natural resources.
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 45
While energy-efficient technologies such as radi- or schematic phase of a project is becoming less a
ant floor heating have improved and become more luxury and more a necessity in the marketplace. Studies
popular—for example, newer systems eschew the like these show the initial investment, consider factors
use of circulating water and instead use a heated such as depreciation and state and federal incentives,
gel topped with self-heating materials—some of the and predict a return-on-investment time frame.
oldest and most familiar green technologies are While technological advances have been a driv-
regaining popularity. ing force behind newer and more efficient green
Improvements in the efficiency and effectiveness of design innovations, architects have continued to
photovoltaic technology, along with broader legislative move forward by looking back for inspiration: green
trends promoting solar energy and a greater apprecia- design strategies that rely on old-school remedies like
tion of the power of energy-efficient engineering and improved air circulation and the capture and reten-
design possibilities, have prompted some architects tion of passive energy are proliferating.
and developers to forge green-oriented deals. Under a Focused more on reducing wasted energy and
recent power purchase agreement between Develop- taking full advantage of natural lighting, heating, and
ers Diversified Realty (DDR), a Cleveland-based real cooling potential, passive energy can have a signifi-
estate investment trust, and Beltsville, Maryland– cant impact on energy demand, particularly in tem-
46 U r b a n La n D august 2009
mainstreaming
Green
M+a arChiteCts
In the Marina District along the Lake Erie shoreline in Sandusky, Ohio, a mixed-use complex is planned that will include
buildings constructed with recycled-content materials and energy conservation technologies. The site will incorporate
pervious pavers and be within walking distance of a municipal park and shoreline areas.
operable windows for fresh air intake, and high-effi- reflected in the increasingly popular idea of a triple
ciency lighting systems. The building’s south-facing bottom line, a value system in which the health and
exposure and large-scale four-story glass atrium were well-being of people, the condition of the planet,
transformed from an energy liability into an asset and a project’s ability to turn a profit all merit equal
with photovoltaic elements in the atrium glazing, consideration in design and development decisions.
strategic ventilation systems, and classrooms and The triple bottom line acknowledges that design is
offices positioned to derive maximum benefit from not a theoretical exercise: all construction and devel-
natural lighting. The Lillis Center is so energy efficient opment affects the people that inhabit those spaces
that the university is able to sell surplus power back and the communities in which people build. UL
to the local utility company.
Architects and designers are doing a better job Matt Can terb ury is director of business development with
of advocating for green materials and technolo- Dublin, Ohio–based M+A Architects, a full-service architecture firm.
gies, articulating the pluses and minuses to clients Canterbury can be reached at mattc@ma-architects.com.
and introducing elegant new green solutions in
ways that balance financial and aesthetic priorities. Cost and Benefits of Energy Efficient Buildings and Retrofitting
Green design asks people to reexamine the places Buildings to Be Green, ULI InfoPackets, are available at www.uli.org/
where they live and work with a critical eye, to ask bookstore, or call 800-321-5011.
new questions, and to adopt a more holistic, long-
term approach to development. That motivation is
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 47
Jason KinG anD sCott e. thayer
Regenerative
Design
sustainable design and planning strategies are setting new standards
for green development projects that integrate the social, economic,
and environmental needs of communities.
Green design solutions typically have aimed and ultimately provide a net positive in water and
at doing less harm to the environment than previous energy use.
approaches, but they tend to fall short of achieving The structure will have a number of standard green
true sustainability. Reduce, reuse, and recycle—the development features—rainwater collection and reuse;
three Rs of sustainability—have succeeded in intro- extensive daylighting; highly energy-efficient lighting,
ducing the concept to a broad audience. But in order mechanical, and building envelope systems; use of
to expand from the concept of doing less harm to recycled and reclaimed building materials and com-
actually restoring the environment and enhancing the ponents; low-volatile-organic-compound paints and
prospects for future generations to meet their needs, adhesives; and rapidly renewable materials such as
a fourth R is needed—regeneration. wheatboard cabinetry panels, cork-based linoleum
Regeneration, biologically speaking, is the active flooring, and bamboo paneling. In addition, it will
involvement of an organism in restoring a lost or dam- employ waste heat reuse and climate control provided
aged part so that the original function is restored. In in the form of radiant heat and cooling delivered in
this case, the organism is Earth, and the original func- a thermal mass structure. The building will have a
tion is the variety of ecosystem services that nature heat-and-power cogeneration system fueled by locally
has performed over millennia that often are harmed sourced waste vegetable oil, and use thermal storage,
by development activities. Regenerative development photovoltaic solar panels, and high-tech batteries for
leaves a more equitable and healthy world for everyone. storage of excess solar power that allow recharging
The Portland, Oregon, region offers a number of many more times than standard batteries.
examples of regenerative development, among them Rather than being dependent on the local power
Independence Station, a mixed-use, 57,000-square- grid, Independence Station will be capable of oper-
foot (5,300-sq-m), three-story structure that through ating off grid for extended periods during which it
a combination of technological innovation and inte- can feed the excess energy it generates back into
grated design strategies will become self-sufficient the system, creating a net-positive energy flow. The
48 U r b a n La n D august 2009
mainstreaming
Green
dominiums, affordable apartments, and housing for an example of the regenerative potential of parks and
seniors, and provides residents with access to the site’s open space through emulation of a wetland ecosys-
amenities as part of its goal of restoring the surround- tem in a public setting, illustrating how habitat and
ing natural urban ecosystems. The central design com- nature can be reintroduced into the heart of a densely
ponent is restoration of Tryon Creek as a functioning developed city. The park, next to Tanner Creek, cap-
urban waterway after it had been buried for years in a tures stormwater from the surrounding streets and
pipe under layers of asphalt. A range of restorative site funnels it into the low point of the park where it can
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 49
greenWorKs/Jason King
rise and fall, fluctuating with storms and dry periods Jaso n K in g , a senior associate and landscape architect with
as it would in nature. The flow is recirculated through Portland, Oregon–based GreenWorks PC, has been named by the U.S.
a series of cleansing vegetated biotopes made up of Green Building Council as a member of the new technical assistance
27 native wetland species that clean, cool, and slow group for LEED implementation of sustainable sites. s C o t t e .
runoff before releasing it into the Willamette River. thayer , a principal with Portland-based Ankrom Moisan Architects
Aside from the major improvements it provides for the and co-leader of the firm’s sustainable design initiatives, has been
health of the river and for the benefit of endangered involved with a number of projects that have obtained or are
aquatic species such as salmon, the park has become seeking LEED or Living Building Challenge certification.
a draw for urban naturalists, as well as great blue
herons, mallard ducks, and red-winged blackbirds. (Independence Station was designed by an interdisciplinary
team including Ankrom Moisan Architects and GreenWorks PC.
Every new sustainable project helps shift the devel-
Headwaters at Tryon Creek was designed by GreenWorks PC.
opment community a bit closer to a holistic regenera-
Tanner Springs Park was designed by GreenWorks and Atelier
tive strategy. But rather than get there incrementally, it
Dreiseitl, based in Überlingen, Germany.)
is time for development to add the essential fourth ele-
ment, regeneration, so that innovative site and building
solutions can be implemented to restore and support
the ecosystems on which life depends. UL
50 U r b a n La n D august 2009
mainstreaming
Green
r o b e r t b o L i n
Modeling
High-
Performance
©toM Bonner photography
Buildings
sustainability and modeling tools, which enable multiple energy- The Natural Resources
Defense Council’s office
efficient design strategies to be evaluated in a short period, are building in Santa Monica,
California, includes an
driving today’s high-performance buildings. integrated light well on the
second floor that provides
natural light and a path for
Years ago, architects were master builders. Since then, the desire to reduce energy consump- air to exit the building.
They understood how performance was related to tion while creating more environmentally sound,
aesthetics and built engineering principals into their comfortable facilities has led to the unveiling of
architecture naturally, accounting for mass, shade, mature, high-performance buildings. The key to the
and climate at every turn. But, as the 20th century design and construction of these structures, however,
approached and the ability to electrically light and is collaboration between project architects and engi-
mechanically heat and cool a building presented neers. The opportunity for making major improve-
itself, climate-specific building massing and orienta- ments in building performance presents itself when
tion became less significant. Instead, technology all team members are part of an integrated design
could bring thermal and visual comfort to any facility, process implemented early on and linking architec-
regardless of locale. ture with passive systems design. Collaborating to
When circumstances in the 1970s ushered in a drive integration from day one, today’s architectural
worldwide oil crisis, energy for the first time became a and environmental systems designers have a better
driving force in the built environment. Windows were chance to meet the project’s budget, schedule, and
locked to maintain close control of energy use, and increasingly challenging sustainability goals to create
aesthetically pleasing, unhealthy buildings fueled the a more livable, breathable, comfortable facility.
division between architecture and engineering. This The Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC)
continued until the 1990s, when efforts in sustainabil- 15,000-square-foot (1,400-sq-m) Santa Monica, Cali-
ity returned holistic design to the drawing board. fornia, office building—adapted from buildings that
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 51
A 7.5-kilowatt rooftop
©sysKa hennessy group
52 U r b a n La n D august 2009
mainstreaming
Green
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 53
In the case of design for the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 8 headquarters in
Denver, a team was formed during the bid competi-
tion consisting of Syska Hennessy and Portland,
Oregon–based Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects
(ZGF). Working together on the building’s massing
and orientation, the team was able to capitalize on the
sun’s rays and local wind patterns to create a double-
L floor plan—forming a central atrium in the middle
of a rectangle—that promotes energy efficiency and
responds to the site’s climate and orientation.
The team created one architectural performance
solution for the southeast and southwest portions
of the building, where a horizontal external shading
configuration could minimize solar gain while maxi-
mizing interior daylight distribution. An alternative
configuration was developed for the northeast and
northwest orientations, where low sun angles in the
early morning and late afternoon could be controlled
with vertical external shades. Once the building’s
envelope had been designed, its mechanical system
was modeled to require less infrastructure, resulting
in a smaller-than-typical air-conditioning system to
support the 250,000-square-foot (23,000-sq-m) build-
ing. Through early and close collaboration, the team
was able to use the appropriate climate and energy
modeling tools to develop a climate-specific concept
for the building that helped the team win the job.
Building on the original competition design, the
team fine-tuned each building component during
the period leading to the project’s completion in
2006. EPA’s Region 8 headquarters building is
85 percent naturally lit as a result of the interior
shades, exterior vertical fins, and atrium sails that
control daylight, solar heat gain, and glare; an
under-floor air distribution system delivers condi-
©roBert CranFieLD/ZiMMer gunsuL FrasCa arChiteCts LLp
54 U r b a n La n D august 2009
mainstreaming
Green
Energy modeling predicted just over 35 percent in the design phases of projects, eliminating the
cumulative energy savings for the building, compared need for contractors to resolve coordination issues
with an American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, during construction. Owner requirements, BIM soft-
and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard ware, and programs such as the American Institute
90.1–compliant building—savings currently being sur- of Architects’ new integrated project delivery process—
passed, according to preliminary data. Water calcula- a project delivery methodology through which an
tions indicated 100 percent landscape irrigation water architect, builder, and owner enter into a venture
savings compared with baselines through a drought- to use the building information model to deliver the
tolerant landscape and a green roof, and 49 percent building from design through construction—will con-
plumbing water savings through high-efficiency and tinue to expand collaboration as the drive for high-
waterless plumbing fixtures—savings being met by the performance buildings grows. UL
building, according to preliminary data. These savings
were made possible through the integration of high- ro b ert b o lin , a Chicago-based professional engineer and
performance engineering with architecture. LEED-accredited professional, is senior vice president with New
Use of integrated design to create high-performance York–based engineering firm Syska Hennessy Group.
buildings is also changing the complexion of project
delivery. Traditionally presented in two-dimensional Cost and Benefits of Energy Efficient Buildings, a ULI InfoPacket,
drawings, today’s building designs are three-dimensional is available at www.uli.org/bookstore, or call 800-321-5011.
models that evolve with each design change and addi-
tion. Both engineers and architects are involved earlier
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 55
Buying, selling or just
making improvements?
Why It Pays to Read The Wall Street Journal and WSJ.com/RealEstate
58 U r b a n La n D august 2009
A passive ventilation system will keep the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration’s Pacific Region Center in Hawaii cool without using air conditioning.
The system will employ wind scoops on the roof (above) to catch the prevailing
breezes, which will be directed down into the building and across coils cooled
with seawater, then distributed under the floor. Hot air will be released through
a central atrium (facing page) that collects moisture in the air for use in the
atrium’s water feature.
hok
Clean Energy
offered by some local governments can cut
the cost by 75 percent. The state’s Public Utili-
sites in California and New Mexico. Arizona’s
Stirling Energy Systems currently is construct-
study by the Wind Coalition, an Austin-based
nonprofit association that promotes develop-
ties Commission projects that solar equipment ing two 7,000-acre (2,800-ha) solar farms in ment of wind energy resources.
installed on rooftops will provide 3,000 mega- the desert with a combined capacity of 800
watts (MW) of electricity by 2017. The state’s MW. SCE and San Diego Gas & Electric have tapping Mother nature
Mojave Desert is already home to the world’s signed a 20-year-contract with Stirling for the Meanwhile, scientists are working on ways to
largest solar installations, with facilities owned 800 MW, but may take an additional 950 MW. exploit untapped power sources. Researchers
by Solar Energy Generating Systems generat- Texas, the leader nationally in wind en- at Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Center for
ing 354 MW of electricity. Four solar compa- ergy with 8,916 MW installed to date, plans to Ocean Energy Technology in Dania Beach are
nies are planning facilities that would boost build its own smart grid to move wind energy working on ways to capture energy from the
the state’s grid-tied solar capacity from 530 from the west Texas plains to urban centers. Gulf Stream, a powerful, sustained ocean cur-
MW to nearly 3,000 MW. The Texas legislature in 2005 approved $5 bil- rent that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, then
California-based OptiSolar and SunPower lion in funding to build as part of the Compet- moves through the Florida Straits up the coast
Corporation are building facilities in central itive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) process, to Newfoundland before circulating to north-
California that will supply 800 MW of electric- 2,400 miles (3,900 km) of transmission lines ern Europe and Africa.
ity to Southern California Edison (SCE). An- to create an “energy highway” scheduled for According to the center’s technical direc-
other California company, eSolar, has part- completion in 2013. CREZ is a new energy grid tor Rick Driscoll, the Gulf Stream could provide
nered with NRG Energy Inc., a global energy to transport power from wind and solar farms Florida a reliable supply of 4 to 10 gigawatts
provider based in Princeton, New Jersey, to urban centers, ultimately saving Texans $3 (GWs) of electricity, or the equivalent of the
to build 500 MW of solar capacity at three billion annually in utility costs, according to a output of four to ten nuclear power plants. His
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 59
team is deploying turbines to assess the tech- molten crust to heat reservoirs of water, which NRG Energy has begun carbon-capture ret-
nology’s performance in various locations and would produce steam to turn turbines. rofits on two plants—the 125-MW W.A. Parrish
the potential environmental impact. A study by the Massachusetts Institute of Power Station near Sugar Land, Texas, and New
Similar turbines use the current in New York’s Technology (MIT) for DOE indicates that exploi- York state’s 540-MW Dunkirk Generating Sta-
East River to help light Manhattan, and many tation of geothermal energy with EGS could pro- tion. The Texas plant uses technology developed
similar projects are in the works nationally and vide enough electricity to power the entire na- by New Hampshire’s Powerspan Corporation
globally. Submerged turbines operate like wind tion for 140,000 years. The MIT scientists admit, at a North Dakota project that captures 90 per-
turbines and cost about the same, according to though, that possibly only 12 million MW of elec- cent of CO2 and recycles it for use in enhanced
feasibility studies by the California-based Electric tricity for 30 years may be recoverable—still an oil field recovery. That project—located at Basin
Power Research Institute, but they are more re- impressive amount. Though total U.S. annual Electric Power Cooperative’s Antelope Valley Sta-
liable and environmentally friendly, turning slow geothermal production capacity is currently 1.1 tion, a coal-based electricity-generation facility
enough to allow marine animals to avoid them. million MW of electricity, AltaRock Energy pres- near Beulah, North Dakota—will capture about
The FAU center is also exploring the poten- ident and chief technology officer Susan Petty 1 million tons of CO2 annually from the 120-MW
tial for two other types of energy derived from says that with federal support, funding, and re- slipstream project, making this demonstration
the ocean—ocean thermal energy conversion, alignment of some oil drilling rigs for geother- among the largest in the world.
which uses the difference in temperature be- mal wells, this clean, renewable energy resource
tween warm surface and cold, deep seawater could account for 20 percent of the nation’s en- Safer nuclear Energy
to generate electricity, and radiant cooling, a ergy by 2043. Both the White House and members of Con-
system in which cold, deep seawater is piped gress have voiced support for increasing nu-
directly into buildings near shore for use as Cleaning Up Coal clear power capacity, and the industry has
a coolant. Radiant cooling is planned at the The U.S coal industry is spending thousands been provided with subsidies, including $500
new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad- of dollars on ads promising clean-coal tech- million in risk insurance from the DOE. Re-
ministration (NOAA) facility in Hawaii. NOAA nology—an energy resource hard to ignore be- search and development in the area of new
will use cold seawater to cool coils containing cause the infrastructure is already in place reactor designs may make fission reactors
air from the prevailing ocean breeze, which is and the United States alone has a 250-year cleaner, safer, and less of a risk for nuclear
heated and cooled to remove humidity. This supply of known coal deposits. weapon proliferation. Many of the new de-
process will create a natural ventilation sys- The DOE recently committed funding for signs, collectively known as generation IV re-
tem that will reduce the building’s energy FutureGen, a next-generation, clean-coal plant actors, attempt to provide passive safety fea-
load by 70 percent. prototype to be built with coal gasification tech- tures that automatically shut down a plant
Also in greater use globally is geothermal nology. Gasification uses ammonia to capture when equipment malfunctions occur, as well
energy—use of steam from groundwater that CO2 in the flue, then stores it as liquid 3,000 as foolproof security measures.
is heated when it seeps into the ground near feet (915 m) underground. The $1.5 billion dem- The International Thermonuclear Experimen-
reservoirs of molten rock from dormant volca- onstration plant, to be built in Mattoon, Illinois, tal Reactor, a collaborative effort of the Euro-
noes or fractures in the earth’s crust. Fifteen will generate 275 MW of electricity to power up pean Union, the United States, Japan, Russia,
Calpine electric plants use steam from geysers to 150,000 homes with almost no greenhouse South Korea, India, and China, is attempt-
that make up 30 square miles (78 sq km) of gas emissions. ing to finally deliver nuclear fusion reactors,
steam fields along the border of Sonoma and Technology companies also are conducting which would diminish or eliminate most of the
Lake counties in northern California to gen- gasification retrofit demonstrations. Chicago- risks associated with fission reactors. Fusion,
erate 725 MW of electricity, enough to power area Jupiter Oxygen, in partnership with the the nuclear reaction that takes place in the
about 725,000 homes—a city the size of San National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), sun, also would extend the lifespan of nuclear
Francisco—for a year. is testing its patented high-flame-tempera- power facilities, generating enough electric-
Globally, geothermal energy provides ture oxy-fuel combustion process together ity over the life of a plant for payback 25 times
10,500 MW of power, but 9,000 MW will be with the NETL’s Integrated Pollutant Removal over, according to the University of Wisconsin–
added by projects in the pipeline, nearly half of system at a 15-MW thermal (equivalent to 5 Madison Fusion Technology Institute.
which are in the United States. A new process MW electric) test facility at Jupiter Oxygen’s re- According to the Nuclear Energy Insti-
called enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) search center in Hammond, Indiana. The goal tute, nuclear power plants currently generate
could make geothermal power generation fea- is to advance creation of a virtually zero-emis- 20 percent of the nation’s energy. The United
sible almost anywhere. Funded in part by the sions plant eliminating multiple pollutants— States has 102 nuclear reactors, more than
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a demonstra- including nitrogen oxide, sulfur oxide, particu- any other country in the world, and the U.S.
tion project has been launched by California late matter, and mercury—as well as capturing Nuclear Regulatory Commission expects that
startup AltaRock Energy at the northern Califor- 95 percent of CO2. The company, together up to 29 nuclear power plants will be con-
nia geysers to test EGS, which would reposition with the NETL, already has successfully tested structed over the next 20 years. NRG Energy
oil-drilling technology to tap into the earth’s this technology at a smaller scale. recently submitted the first application for a
60 U r b a n La n D august 2009
during the day for use to light a highway increasing customer demand and the state’s
Going for the Green interchange at night, according to the Oregon renewable energy initiative. Oregon has
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 61
nuclear reactor in 30 years, seeking to add which can only be discharged partially or else Nanotechnology is what ultimately is
two advanced boiling-water reactors at the they will deteriorate, the 123 Systems battery, hoped will shift the energy paradigm to clean
South Texas Project south of Houston, dou- which is being used in the new Chevy Volt hy- fuel resources, making energy cheap, plenti-
bling that plant’s capacity to 4,500 MW. brid, can discharge to 10 percent, giving it a ful, reliable, and storable. If created at nano-
range of 200 miles (320 km). scale, hydrogen fuel cell, or micro-fuel cell,
Game-Changing Science At the University of Delaware (UD), research- batteries, once charged, could self-charge as
Nate Lewis, professor of chemistry at the Cali- ers have developed a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) long as the car is running, providing unlim-
fornia Institute of Technology, is working on a battery that doubles as a power generator. It ited driving range and adding power to the
revolutionary nanotechnology material to re- charges when demand is low and adds power grid when idle. Garry Golden, futurist consul-
place silicon, the most expensive component back to the grid during peak-demand periods. tant, predicts that within ten years, nanosci-
in solar energy products. The material would Vehicle owners could eventually be paid for the ence will make it possible to store enough
be used to develop an inexpensive, portable so- energy their cars produce. The 30-kilowatt-hour hydrogen energy in a block the size of a bar
lar energy product that could be rolled out like battery runs off the grid’s regulation signal and of soap or brick to power an average home
bubble wrap or painted on buildings, roads, could power the average home for at least 20 for a month.
and other flat surfaces. The idea is to make so- hours. While a car’s impact on the grid is minus- Fixing climate change, a number of scien-
lar power efficient, inexpensive, and portable cule, the aggregate effect of hundreds of cars, tists suggest, would inadvertently effect posi-
so that everyone, even people living in unde- 95 percent of which are parked most of the day, tive changes in other areas. Driscoll points out
veloped nations, can afford clean energy. using batteries that could be plugged into the that clean energy research and development
In fact, nanotechnology is expected to be grid would be significant, points out Scott Baker, present an opportunity for the United States
the underlying game changer in the world’s a UD graduate student who worked on the V2G to become energy independent, reverse the
energy future, ultimately improving renewable project team. trade deficit, and solve the nation’s economic
energy efficiency, lowering costs, and offering PJM, the grid operator for 14 states, in- woes with new jobs that cannot be shipped
ways to store electricity or transport it quickly cluding Delaware, is interested in buying the offshore. “We have so much invested in tra-
where it is needed. Nanotechnology con- power when potential capacity gets to 300 ditional energy methods, it’s hard to switch,
trols material at the atomic or molecular level, MW, or at least 300 cars. The UD team is col- but our country is hemorrhaging from fuel
causing it to undergo a quantum change that laborating with California-based AC Propul- payments. Our economic problems and bud-
makes it lighter and increasing its surface sion to create and test car prototypes and fix get deficit would take care of themselves if we
size and strength. Nanotechnology, for exam- potential problems before putting the inven- stop spending on foreign fuel,” he contends.
ple, allows data contained on 250 DVDs to be tion on the market. The V2G battery charges “You can’t solve water, food, and health
stored on film the size of a coin. in two hours if plugged into a 240-volt con- problems without solving the energy prob-
Wade Adams, director of the Richard B. nection or 12 hours with a 110-volt connection lem,” says Adams. “You’re not going to win
Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and and allows cars to travel up to 60 miles per the war on terrorism if two-thirds of people on
Technology at Rice University, is working on a hour (100 kmph) and cover 120 to 150 miles Earth are disenfranchised and desperate to
superconductive wire, the carbon nanotube wire, (190 to 250 km) between charges. earn a living to feed their families.”
which conducts electricity with little or no resis- Japan’s Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd. recently Lewis contends that people alive today
tance. Possibly ready within five years, the wire announced development of a fuel cell that are uniquely positioned to change the fate of
could be used to build a global grid that moves uses alkali, rather than acid, in the ion ex- the world. “No generation ever before or ever
energy quickly anywhere in the world and elim- change membranes, allowing fuels cells to again will have this opportunity,” he says.
inates the need to store it. With the current en- work with inexpensive materials like cobalt, “We get to do this experiment with our planet
ergy-grid wire, 8 percent of the energy being car- rather than platinum. Instead of hydrogen, exactly once, and we can’t afford to fail.” UL
ried is lost over a 200-mile (320-km) stretch and Daihatsu’s fuel cell uses hydrazine hydrate, a
40 percent over 1,000 miles (160 km). liquid industrial material that emits no CO2. Patricia L. K irK is a freelance writer based in
A lithium-ion battery patented by 123 Sys- Anticipating mass rollout of all types of Austin, Texas.
tems that uses a nanophosphate cathode clean-energy vehicles, Chevron has established Sustainable Development: Navigating the New
chemistry material is already improving elec- five service station prototypes that use six dif- World of Green Regulations and Incentives, a ULI
tric car batteries. Developed at MIT, the nano- ferent fuel technologies to make hydrogen from book available this fall, and Energy and Real Estate,
phosphate material is more stable than the natural gas, water, and ethanol. The service an InfoPacket, can be purchased at www.uli.org/
cobalt oxide used in typical lithium-ion bat- stations, designed to produce and store hydro- bookstore, or call 800-321-5011.
teries so it does not heat up. Electric vehicles gen on site, are located in California, Michigan,
made by San Carlos, California–based Tesla and Florida to assess performance under dif-
Motors, which have cobalt oxide batteries, ferent climatic conditions, notes Puneet Verma,
use an elaborate cooling system that adds to manager of hydrogen power research at Chev-
the cost. Unlike typical lithium-ion batteries, ron Technology Ventures.
62 U r b a n La n D august 2009
HarNessiNGJ E r r y W. S z ata n
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 63
Both the public and private sectors have percent of U.S. electricity without major tech-
top ten states’ total
been promoting renewable energy. Some 28 nological breakthroughs, though it would re-
Installed WInd poWer
states and the District of Columbia have en- CapaCIty (MW) (as of June 27) quire significant capital and transmission in-
acted renewable energy standards (RES), re- vestment. (Denmark and parts of Spain and
quiring that some percentage of electricity be State Ranked by Under Germany already get 20 percent of their elec-
supplied from renewable sources, usually in Existing Capacity Existing Construction tricity from wind.) While there is opportunity
the next five to 15 years. The Obama Admin- Texas 7,907 1,102 for growth, there also are barriers.
Iowa 2,883 210
istration called for a national RES of 25 per- First, a potential wind farm site has to be
California 2,653 125
cent by 2025. The American Clean Energy and windy. Generally, wind speed of 15.7 to 16.8
Minnesota 1,803 0
Security Act of 2009 (also referred to as the miles per hour (25.1 to 26.9 km per hour) 164
Washington 1,479 0
Waxman-Markey bill), passed by the House of Oregon 1,363 126 feet (50 m) above ground (class 4 on a 1-to-7
Representatives 219–212 on June 26, calls for New York 1,261 21 scale) or higher is necessary for viable com-
a national RES of 6 percent in 2012, increas- Colorado 1,068 0 mercial-scale wind farms with current technol-
ing to 20 percent by 2020; up to 40 percent Kansas 1,014 0 ogy. Preferred sites are hilltops, ridge crests,
of which can be met by utilities increasing Illinois 915 312 mountain summits, large clearings, and other
energy efficiency. The Senate is working on locations free of local obstruction and with
Source: AWEA.
its own RES legislation. Further action is ex- less surface roughness.
pected in the fall. Windmills are tall—rotor diameters can be
Many private companies have set volun- providing power to a single user such as a 262 to 295 feet (80 to 90 m) and towers can
tary goals for using or developing green en- business or home) wind generation facilities. be just as tall—and getting taller, and wind
ergy. In July, the U.S. Envrionmental Protection Texas, the leading state by far in total installed farms sprawl as individual towers are spaced
Agency recognized 58 Fortune 500 compa- wind power capacity, again led the country in to avoid each other’s wind shadows. Wind
nies (and universities, governments, and oth- new installations in 2008, adding 2,671 MW is stronger higher up, and the energy output
ers) for their purchases of green energy, total- (see table above). Iowa vaulted past Califor- of wind increases proportionally to the cube
ing more than 8 billion kilowatt-hours annually. nia into second place in 2008. Minnesota and of wind speed; e.g., doubling wind speed in-
For example, Mountain View, California–based Iowa rely most on wind-generated electricity, creases energy potential eightfold. Offshore
Goggle, Inc., launched in November 2007 an obtaining about 7.5 and 7.1 percent, respec- windmills are bigger still, in part because it
investment and research effort to develop elec- tively, of their electricity from wind, followed by is easier to transport larger blades over wa-
tricity from renewable sources that would cost Colorado, North Dakota, and New Mexico. ter. While it is difficult to cite average wind
less than coal. Round Rock, Texas–based com- Only three of the top ten states in installed farm size since some cover flat rectangular
puter maker Dell, Inc., announced in February wind energy capacity are among the top ten sites and others follow mountain ridge-tops,
that 35 percent of its U.S. energy consumption for wind energy potential: Texas (2), Minne- they are getting bigger. The 137-turbine Fen-
was from green sources. sota (9), and Iowa (10). The other top ten ton Wind Project in southwest Minnesota, for
A U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) study states for annual wind energy potential are as instance, covers a seven-by-seven-mile (11-by-
concluded in 2007 that wind power is com- follows: North Dakota (1), Kansas (3), South 11-km) span of farm fields in two counties.
petitive at the wholesale price level and has Dakota (4), Montana (5), Nebraska (6), Wyo- It takes about 18 to 24 months to develop a
been consistently priced, including all rebates ming (7), and Oklahoma (8). wind farm, with six months for construction
and credits, at or below the price of electric- Wind energy proponents tout its economic and the rest for approvals.
ity produced at fossil-fuel or nuclear power impact. Wind farms provide income for rural Wind alone is not enough for an ideal site,
plants. Moreover, wind project performance landowners, ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 however. Environmental issues, protecting mi-
has been increasing due to improved project per turbine, according to the AWEA, while al- grating birds and endangered species, avoid-
siting, larger turbines, and technological ad- lowing farming or ranching to continue, and ing radar interference, and concerns about noise
vances, and average prices have been de- create construction and maintenance jobs. and aesthetics all factor into site selection, but
clining for many years, though they increased Since the turbines do not require water for perhaps the biggest barrier is access to the elec-
in 2006 due to increasing costs for turbines. steam to produce electricity, as do fossil-fuel trical grid. The DoE notes: “While access to
Prices vary by region and are the lowest in and nuclear plants, they suit the often-arid nearby transmission lines is a key requirement
Texas and the Plains states, which the DoE Plains. Windmill component manufacturers for large renewable power facilities, the first step
defined as North and South Dakota, Ne- announced more than 55 new or expanded for developing many renewable resources is for
braska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, facilities in 24 states last year. someone to actually build a transmission line.”
Missouri, and Arkansas. In May 2008, a DoE report, “20 percent Wind farms in wide-open spaces, where there
As of the end of June, 35 states had Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Ener- are few conflicting uses or few residents to raise
utility-scale (generally defined as designed to gy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply,” objections, also are often far from the demand
be hooked to the commercial grid rather than concluded that wind energy could provide 20 for electricity and from transmission lines. The
64 U r b a n La n D august 2009
Peetz Table Wind Energy Center in northeast Col-
orado, built in 2007, required a 78-mile (125-km)
transmission line to connect to the grid.
Some states and business are taking
steps to encourage transmission line build-
ing. In Texas, T. Boone Pickens, most widely
known as an oil man, advocates develop-
ing wind power and plans to build transmis-
sion lines along a water pipeline right-of-way
to connect wind farms in the panhandle with
d e Pa r t M e n t o f e n e r g y n at i o n a l r e n e W a b l e e n e r g y l a b o r at o r y
users in Dallas/Fort Worth, though plans have
been postponed by falling natural gas prices
and tight credit markets. In 2007 New Mexico
established a Renewable Energy Transmission
Authority, the first state-level authority, with
the power to issue bonds to finance trans-
mission lines to serve renewable energy facil-
ities. The California independent system oper-
ator has been working with the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission to develop innovative Wind resource and energy
potential is abundant in
financing for new transmission lines. the Great Plains area of
Wind’s variability presents another chal- the United States.
lenge: wind generates power 65 to 80 per-
cent of the time and on average generates at States they have proven particularly contro- also is potential in urban areas. Architects have
30 to 35 percent of rated capacity annually— versial, with residents and vacationers argu- designed buildings now under construction
challenging grid operators to balance supply ing that they mar ocean views and may inter- with integral wind energy generators. Mayor
and demand and avoid blackouts. Traditional fere with fishing or navigation, notably in the Michael Bloomberg of New York City advo-
power plants also have downtime. Adding proposed 130-turbine Cape Wind project in cates exploring the feasibility of installing wind
more wind farms to a larger grid would pro- Nantucket Sound. In May, the Massachusetts turbines and other renewable energy genera-
vide diversification and reduce variability con- Energy Facilities Siting Board granted environ- tors on the city’s bridges, buildings, and water-
cerns. “Improvements in wind forecasting mental approval to the project, though federal front. The city of Chicago is experimenting with
are a key advance that can be used to better approvals remain and opponents have vowed roof-mounted windmills designed for urban
schedule wind power into the market, easing to appeal the commonwealth’s decision. areas, where the wind is typically too turbu-
a lot of [variability-related] issues,” Christine Offshore wind may offer particular potential lent for rural-style windmills, on several build-
Real de Azua, AWEA’s assistant director of in the Northeast, where electricity costs are high, ings near downtown. These compact cylindrical
communications, says. demand is growing, and scarce land makes on- structures resemble the cage and blades of an
Efforts to maximize energy potential from shore development expensive. In the first con- old-fashioned push lawn mower and can be
wind include collocation with other energy tract for offshore wind power in the United mounted horizontally or vertically.
sources. In November 2007, Puget Sound En- States, Delaware-based utility Delmarva Power In the last few years, demand for wind
ergy began a demonstration project producing signed a 25-year contract in June 2008 with power has grown measurably as more states
electricity from a 450-kilowatt solar facility lo- wind farm developer Bluewater Wind Delaware, have adopted renewable standards, tax cred-
cated within the company’s Wild Horse Wind LLC, for up to 200 MW from Bluewater’s pro- its have become available, and prices have
Facility in Washington. Also in 2007, a $2 mil- posed wind farm more than 11 miles (17.6 km) come down. Concern about climate change
lion wind-to-hydrogen project was dedicated off Rehoboth Beach. The U.S. Minerals Manage- and enacting a national RES would further
in Minot, North Dakota, to research using ment Service issued final regulations on Earth boost demand. The wind industry has re-
electricity generated by wind to separate hy- Day, April 22, guiding wind power development sponded by adding capacity at a record pace,
drogen from water, which then could be used on the outer continental shelf, which should but challenges remain, including building
to power hydrogen-fueled vehicles. add predictability to the process. In a first for transmission capacity and access. UL
Offshore wind farms are common in Eu- freshwater, also on Earth Day, the New York
rope and technically attractive for their strong Power Authority asked for expressions of interest Jerry W. Szatan is a Chicago-based consultant
and steady winds—NREL estimates that off- for projects in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. and writer on corporate site selection and community
shore wind farms could supply up to 5 percent While the iconic wind farm image may be economic and real estate development.
of U.S. electricity by 2030. But in the United of huge pinwheel towers in rural areas, there
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 65
r o b Ly n c h a n D r a L f E L s a E s s E r
Developing
Research
Facilities
The convergence of environmental awareness, scientific
innovation, political will, and entrepreneurship has pushed
forward the development of alternative-fuel technologies.
As capital markets tighten and Pioneering biotechnology companies require native fuels, the most critical factor of project
competition in the alternative-fuels industry design and construction partners that have execution is a thorough understanding of the
intensifies, accelerating the transition from an appreciation for scientific applications— science. Project teams need to work closely
the test tube to the gas tank, biofuel research and teams that reflect this commitment. with the scientists at the initial stages of the
and prototype facilities are quickly coming These projects require specific expertise in project to comprehend the current state, as
online throughout the industrialized world working on science-based projects. Many well as the future potential, of the research
and, in particular, in the San Francisco Bay biofuel clients are funded with limited venture operations to develop cost- and schedule-
Area. Driven by federal and state incentives capital or closely watched government funds, effective construction solutions for flexible
and carbon-reduction requirements, the Bay which requires identifying creative ways to and adaptable facilities.
Area is among the world’s leaders in research- construct these facilities in the most cost- The Biofuel Research Center for the Joint
ing alternative energy sources. Scientists and efficient manner possible. Given the urgency in BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a partnership led
entrepreneurs in this area are developing energy developing clean fuel technologies as quickly by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
sources by using microbes derived from syn- as possible, completion deadlines can be which includes Sandia National Laborato-
thetic biology techniques or harvested from aggressive, sometimes requiring facilities to be ries, the University of California campuses
termite intestines to convert feedstock such completed in phases that allow initial opera- of Berkeley and Davis, the Carnegie Institu-
as switchgrass, sugar cane, and other forms tions to commence long before completing the tion for Science, and Lawrence Livermore
of cellulosic biomass into biofuels. final components of the project, or installing National Laboratory, is one of three new U.S.
Building the laboratories and support complex equipment in the midst of ongoing Department of Energy Bioenergy Research
facilities for the discovery, prototyping, and laboratory operations, without adversely affect- Centers. Headquartered in EmeryStation East,
production of alternative fuels can be a chal- ing research or production. All of this has to be a new state-of-the-art laboratory building in
lenge for developers, architects, engineers, and done with virtually zero margins of error. Emeryville, California, JBEI’s primary scientific
construction companies since very few models Given the constantly evolving science and mission is to advance the development of the
exist in this emerging, experimental field. technologies associated with developing alter- next generation of biofuels. The center will
66 U r b a n La n D August 2009
focus its scientific effort in three key areas: and methods, providing real-time cost and ence, as well as the end byproducts of the
feedstock production, deconstruction, and schedule information. Amyris’s technology of research, requires strong utility systems and
fuels synthesis in a multipronged approach producing biodiesel made from sugarcane code-mandated architectural features to sup-
to develop biomass-to-biofuel solutions. has the potential to lead the way to a future port them. The ability to economically provide
“JBEI was a design-build approach where independent of fossil fuels. these systems and achieve compliance with
program input from the users was accom- South San Francisco–based LS9 is moving all jurisdictional codes and ordinances ulti-
modated throughout the design process,” ahead with development of synthetic fuels that mately determines the feasibility of a project
explains Ken Leong, senior associate at DGA are essentially indistinguishable from commer- within a given location. This evaluation also
Architects, an architectural design firm based cially available hydrocarbon-based fuels. The must be reconciled with the appropriate juris-
in Mountain View, California. “There were also fuel production process calls for specialized dictional building codes and ordinances for
building code issues for such a facility due fermentation equipment. The challenge was life safety, environmental, and noise param-
to the increased use of hazardous materials. to install the equipment in an existing facility eters to ensure that all requirements can be
Since JBEI is dealing with larger quantities of while operations were ongoing. Working closely economically incorporated into the design
hazardous materials due to the nature of its and construction of the facility.
research, the city of Emeryville worked with The utility systems needed to support the
Building the laboratories
the design team to provide fair interpretations scientific operations within these facilities
of code criteria,” he notes. “Biofuel research and support facilities for the require mechanical equipment—chillers, air-
facilities need to be flexible to respond to handling units, boilers, steam generators, and
changing research directions quickly, so labs
discovery, prototyping, and the like—all of which can generate elevated
must be flexible,” says DGA Architects princi- production of alternative noise levels. Local jurisdictions often mandate
pal Nancy Escano. detailed sound studies as a precondition to
The JBEI project, like almost all projects of fuels can be a challenge project approval to ensure that the appropriate
this nature, was challenged with an extremely design features to mitigate the generated noise
for developers, architects,
aggressive schedule. To meet research dead- are incorporated into the design and construc-
lines, the project had to be constructed in engineers, and construction tion. In addition, the raw materials and end
phases, allowing for dedicated areas to come byproducts often require atypical architectural
online to support research operations while
companies since very few design and life safety components to ensure
adjacent areas were still under construc- models exist in this emerging, compliance with code provisions.
tion, with no adverse impact on any earlier The development of alternative-fuel tech-
research activities. experimental field. nologies is of vital national interest from both
When Emeryville-based Amyris Biotechnol- an environmental and an economic perspec-
ogies’ renewable diesel fuel science evolved with the LS9 scientists, the design and con- tive. Successfully meeting the challenges
from the research and development stage to struction team had to evaluate the capacity of of constructing alternative-fuels facilities
pilot plant production, it was crucial that its the existing facility and utility systems required requires design and construction partners
complex mechanical, electrical, and piping to support the new equipment. who understand this emerging, experimental
requirements to support its fermentation pro- Once the detailed requirements were iden- field; appreciate the economic and schedule
cess were well understood. From the design tified, the team prepared the engineering docu- constraints of project delivery; and possess
and permitting phase to the final installa- ments, obtained the required building permits, specific expertise in working on science-
tion and commissioning of Amyris’s process and constructed the necessary modifications based projects. UL
equipment, the project was executed under while the facility and utility systems were fully
major cost and schedule pressure. To support operational supporting ongoing research. When Ro b Lyn ch is chief operating officer and
Amyris’s goal of rapid commercialization of its these modifications were complete, the spe- RaLf ELsaEssER is project manager/biotech
renewable diesel fuel product, the team had cialized fermentation equipment was installed focus group leader at Dome Construction Corporation
to identify and select a suitable location for within the facility, connected to the operational in San Francisco, California.
the pilot plant, design the facility, procure the utility systems, and commissioned without
specialized process equipment, obtain the adversely affecting the ongoing operations of
necessary building permits, and construct and the LS9 scientists. “Our pilot plant is running
commission the facility within an extremely and producing renewable transportation fuels,”
aggressive schedule for a facility of this says Wei Huang, LS9’s vice president of pro-
complexity. To achieve the most cost-efficient cess development and engineering.
delivery of the facility, the design-build con- The development of process technolo-
struction team continually evaluated alterna- gies to support alternative-fuel development,
tive design concepts and construction means including the raw materials used for the sci-
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 67
The Green Quotient
68 U r b a n La n D August 2009
In Canada, green buildings are gaining widespread change with time as EEWH requires ever- extra FAR [floor/area ratio], which is worth
acceptance. Why? larger percentages of green materials and a lot of money in densely built Taipei. You
Mueller: Yes, the market is swinging in our as mass production takes over, increases get 8 percent extra for Gold and 10 percent
direction. It’s being driven by the proven the volume, and reduces the costs. extra for Diamond, our top rating. Builders
benefits of green buildings and by corporate have been eager to get that incentive and
In Canada, what are the major roadblocks to green
social responsibility. Buildings have been the greater profits.
buildings?
identified as a ready opportunity to reduce Mueller: One big roadblock is proper main- In most nations today, new construction has slowed
carbon emissions, reduce energy consump- tenance of building systems to achieve the greatly because of the recession. How can green
tion, and save money. That’s a great package expected green benefits. Plus, we need buildings make a difference now?
—environmental, social, and financial. performance measurement, verification, and Cheng: The greatest need is renovation of
Developers and investors have become reporting. We are doing that benchmark- existing buildings everywhere. In Taiwan,
supporters, too. When you look at our ing. Two years ago, we started performance we have a program, the Existing Building
council’s board, you see our major support- audits of the best [-performing] buildings to Improvement Remodeling Program. It’s
ers like the Real Property Association of understand why they worked so well. Now, being used for federal buildings first: they
Canada, which represents the 100 biggest we give workshops to teach how to mea- are the pilot projects. Energy savings, sun
owners, developers, and pension funds. Big sure and improve operational and recom- shading, and water savings are the main
homebuilders, too, are board members. missioning practices, retrofits or upgrades, portion of the improvements. Soon, we will
Pension funds, in particular, recognize and improve tenant knowledge about expand the program to housing—particularly
the value of green building. They don’t want the best practices. Existing buildings can in Taipei, where land is scarce, where
to invest in buildings with lesser operating reduce their energy use by 50 percent. many office buildings are high rises, and
and environmental performance; they don’t We want a green building performance sys- most residential areas are very compact
want to invest in obsolete buildings. tem online that allows a building manager to with condominium-type housing. Green
Unlike some U.S. cities and counties, we make improvements. We want a database of upgrades of these buildings will provide
don’t have green mandates for privately performance, which becomes a performance so many benefits.
owned construction. We don’t have as management tool for building managers.
many incentives, either. That’s been a bit of Do you have any predictions for green buildings in
a problem to get the market moving faster. The U.A.E. has experienced an extraordinary surge in Canada? Around the world?
But any incentives must be very targeted, green building construction. It’s unprecedented. Mueller: First, the recession will end, and
and they must have a sunset clause. Other- Why did it happen? green buildings will probably lead the real
wise, you are giving a free ride. Seneviratne: Throughout 2005, 2006, and estate comeback. By 2015, Canada will have
2007, property market leaders were register- 100,000 LEED-certified green buildings. One
Which Canadian building sectors are leading, and which ing their buildings for certification. Then in million homes, including condos, will use
ones are lagging? October 2007, his Highness Sheikh Moham- half the energy they use today.
Mueller: Our leaders are office buildings, med, ruler of Dubai, announced that all new Worldwide, we will see more nations
schools, universities, and mid- and high-rise commercial and residential buildings must forming green building councils, and mil-
residential. As far as a lagging sector, we meet one of the internationally recognized lions of buildings constructed or retrofitted
have no LEED Canada hotels. There’s lots of standards for green buildings. Most of our to green standards. The financial and envi-
talk—lots of ecobranding—but that’s it. leading developers and architects were ronmental benefits are too compelling for
In Taiwan, what are the hindrances to green buildings? already familiar with the LEED system, and this not to happen. UL
Cheng: Our green materials industry is not they adopted LEED for new projects.
really strong at this point. In the earliest chaRLEs Lo ck wo o d is a green real estate
Taiwan has some very good incentives for green buildings.
EEWH standards, only 5 percent of building authority and consultant in southern California
Give an example of one of the most successful ones.
materials had to be green. Now that the and New York City.
Cheng: We have a government program
requirement is 30 percent, we have the big called the Urban Regeneration Program, The Green Quotient: Insights from Leading Experts on
demand, but the industry has not caught started in 2008. If a condominium devel- Sustainability, written by Charles Lockwood, is a ULI
up yet. Often, the prices are still too high published book available at www.uli.org/bookstore,
oper applies the EEWH system and gets or call 800-321-5011.
because the market is too small. That will Silver certification, you can get 6 percent
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 69
landwri
The Greening
Because developing nations, by their cross the desert to connect the new develop
very definition, are starting at a much lower ment to the cities along the Nile.
70 U r b a n La n D august 2009
tes
Given the stark reality of the challenges
facing the country, sustainable solutions be
come even more important. This January, a
group of international experts in sustainabil
ity traveled to Cairo for the kickoff meeting
of the Egypt Green Building Council—a gath
ering seen as a signal of the country’s deter
mination to move forward in initiating green
building standards. More than 100 engineers
and architects attended the conference, which
was sponsored by the Housing and Build
ing Research Center, an arm of the Minis
try of Housing, Utilities, and Community De
velopment. Presenters were predominantly
from the United States, but a number of other
countries were represented, including Brazil,
Russia, and Saudi Arabia.
Sustainability was a new concept for the
developing country. Egypt is starting from
needed for professionals, in the schools, and Egypt faces a rapidly growing population, water
scratch in establishing green building codes, and energy shortages, and soil, water, and air
for the general public.
and significant obstacles exist. During the contamination. The Nile River, shown here in a
To move forward, the Egyptians are creat northeastern Egyptian city near the Suez Canal,
threeday conference, the international partici
ing their own version of the U.S. Green Build is the nation’s major water source.
pants emphasized a number of challenges
ing Council’s Leadership in Energy and Envi
that need to be addressed to ensure success
ronmental Design (LEED) certification program, planners, architects, and builders. Implemen
of the fledgling effort:
which they call the Green Pyramid. Officials tation of sustainable measures should help
l The critical need for private sector involve effect major improvements in sanitation, es
are creating their own green building codes,
ment. As is the norm in most developing na
choosing what they want to implement from pecially for the poor. Use of renewable energy,
tions, the Egyptian government is not ac
the LEED palette. Because tourism is a ma such as solar and wind power, to replace cur
customed to involvement of a volunteerrun
jor revenue generator for Egypt, the ministry rent fuel sources will help reduce longterm air
organization in setting rules and regulations. The
plans to establish the first green design pilot pollution and energy costs.
U.S. team strongly encouraged the inclusion of
project at a highprofile archeological site in With this effort, it is possible that the
private consultants, planners, engineers, archi
order to not only help protect the site’s trea Egyptians, builders of the pyramids—the first
tects, and contractors in this process.
sures, but also provide a showcase for tour sustainable structures—will be able to set an
l The perception among Egyptian technocrats example for developing nations worldwide. UL
ists, demonstrating Egypt’s commitment to
that green design applies solely to expensive
sustainability.
projects for the wealthy. Sam ali is an engineering consultant. Recently, as a
The rewards for adopting green building
l The need for education at all levels con vice president of civil engineering services and a LEED
principles are expected to be significant for
cerning the principles underlying sustainabil coordinator at Los Angeles–based engineering firm
Egypt. With more than 3 million residential
ity. Many of those attending the conference Psomas, he traveled to Cairo to assist with formation
units planned in the Egyptian desert, the con
did not understand the concept of sustainabil of the Egypt Green Building Council.
cepts underlying community building embed
ity, thinking it pertained to measures to keep
ded in the LEED for New Development pro
a building running. An education campaign
gram should be valuable for the country’s
to promote green building concepts will be
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 71
landwrites
China’s new
China’s real estate market is recovering l Those who invested heavily in Chinese devel
quickly, due in large part to the Chinese gov opers, who then failed to go public when the
72 U r b a n La n D august 2009
lending—and not interested in a foreign or a prices. They can diversify their portfolios over
domestic partner. To do a deal with the latter, “What motivates Chinese real night,” says Hand. “What motivates Chinese
“the foreign investor has to bring more than real estate investors, besides stability of the
money; he must bring soft skills that the Chi estate investors, besides stability investment environment where the assets are
nese side needs and lacks,” advises David held, are pricing and the currency play. Chi
Hand, international director, head of China of the investment environment nese see an opportunity in London, for exam
Property Investment, at Jones Lang LaSalle. ple, because prices have fallen and the cur
“He must leverage his expertise in develop where the assets are held, are rency has weakened,” adds Hand.
ment, management, strategic planning, de Furthermore, in a recent policy reversal,
sign, implementation, and so on,” he adds. pricing and the currency play. the Chinese government has begun encour
l Investing in Chinese developers. Foreign aging Chinese companies to establish off
investors can find bargains in the shares of Chinese see an opportunity in shore enterprises and to invest in or buy over
other foreign firms that invested in preIPO de seas companies. These corporations will need
velopers who then failed to go public. Also, as London, for example, because buildings for their own use, as well as housing
the industry consolidates, highquality, cash for their Chinese expatriate staff.
strapped developers have become acquisi prices have fallen and the currency China’s sovereign wealth fund, the China
tion targets of the large, cashrich develop Investment Corporation (CIC), with $200 bil
ers. Many of these targeted developers would has weakened.” lion under management and another $200 bil
prefer an equity infusion from a foreign inves lion likely on its way, has begun to focus on
tor who allows them to continue to own and —David Hand, international director, real estate investment outside China and has
run their companies. Many also have access head of China Property Investment, hired a sixperson, inhouse real estate team.
to bank loans for new projects, and, when the “Having seen other sovereign wealth funds
IPO market opens again, they may be strong Jones Lang LaSalle come to grief in real estate investment, the
candidates for going public. CIC will likely invest initially with a leading in
l Purchasing the shares of offshore compa- ternational real estate fund. Then, after the CIC
nies. Many investors in offshore companies bound investment in real estate is coming and gains experience, it will begin to make direct
are looking for buyers for their shares. Prices that it will create new opportunities for sellers investments,” says Rothstein.
have fallen because the value of the under in markets outside China. Along with these new opportunities are
lying properties has fallen and because their Foreign residential real estate is currently new challenges. For foreign investors, this
debt will begin to become due in 2010. the primary target. China has about 400,000 means identifying the new categories of in
l Refinancing offshore companies. There is an millionaires, according to the Boston Consult vestment and accurately assessing the new
opportunity to refinance offshore companies ing Group, and just below that a developing mood and needs of Chinese developers. For
before that debt comes due. Some foreign and increasingly welltodo middle class. With sellers to the Chinese, this means understand
firms are already gathering resources to step falling prices and a weak dollar, their interest ing, according to Hand, that “Chinese inves
in as mezzanine or senior lenders at very at in buying U.S. residential property is high, as tors are looking for a certain type of seller. A
tractive terms. evinced by the following: seller they can communicate with, but not just
At the same time, in a dramatic reversal of l Homebuying trips to the United States have in terms of language; someone who under
capital flows, the Chinese are poised to make become one of China’s most popular pack stands the art of the transaction or partnering,
investments in overseas real estate, both resi age tours—so popular that they are over as the case may be; who shows a willingness
dential and commercial. “The Chinese have an subscribed, and operators have had to put to compromise and be flexible about how
affinity for investment in real estate as an as hundreds on waiting lists. things are done; who doesn’t just say this is
set class. So when they look abroad for invest l The “America for Sale” expo of U.S. residen London or New York and this is how we do it
ments, they look at real estate,” Hand says. tial real estate in Beijing attracted over 7,500 here.” For both, this means embracing new
Yet, “because China’s outbound real es potential Chinese buyers. market realities, new strategies, and new ways
tate investment relies not only on the mar l Delegations of U.S. residential brokers going of doing deals. UL
ket alone but also on the political processes to China to showcase their properties consis
of the Chinese government, it is difficult to say tently attract large audiences. malco lm Riddell is president of RiddellTseng, a
how much or how quickly it will find its way The Chinese have also begun competing boutique investment bank that advises on China real
into real estate investments,” notes Xiaoping for U.S. commercial real estate. “Now interna estate, and academic leader and instructor for China
Zheng, principal at BAZO in Shanghai, a tional markets are open to Chinese investors real estate executive education programs at the Har-
Chinafocused real estate advisory and invest to pick commercial properties in prime loca vard Graduate School of Design.
ment management company. But, there ap tions with a good history of performance, fa
pear to be few who doubt that Chinese out mous addresses, some at ‘once in a lifetime’
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 73
landwrites
Global
There is a pall shrouding property in point in time. The scarcity of global debt cap
vestment conferences these days as consul ital has diminished the role of leverage in de
74 U r b a n La n D august 2009
shortterm growth, and short holding periods to As markets shift, there is much discussion
generate high rates of internal return. about the appropriate roles of managers and Strategic core investment opportunities
History has served up a lesson on these
strategies. In the end, the principal benefi
operators working for institutional portfolios. In
talking with plan sponsors, it is clear that there
in logistics and industrial properties
ciaries of shortterm strategies have been the
brokers and bankers who managed the place
will be change. How much change is not clear
since understaffed plan sponsors need the rep
along the supply chains of world
ment of debt and equity at formation, exit,
and redeployment.
resentation of investment advisers on the com
mittees and boards of their investment vehi
markets are compelling and should
At present, there is no need to take exces
sive risk to get coreplus to valueadded real
cles. One thing is clear, however: the role of the
operator manager as a direct provider of service
include Shanghai, Amsterdam/
estate returns. Keep it simple. Return to fun to institutional portfolios is likely to increase. Rotterdam, Dubai, Los Angeles, Dallas,
damentals. Take advantage of the supply of Those who invest in research, compliance, and
properties that were not available or accessi portfolio services that meet institutional stan Chicago, Singapore, and Frankfurt.
ble in the past. dards are likely to win investment management
While capital is likely to be in short supply business on a direct basis with plan sponsors Rotterdam, Dubai, Los Angeles, Dallas,
for some time, it must still be allocated in a log and sovereign wealth funds. Chicago, Singapore, and Frankfurt.
ical way—or in a completely different manner The industry is now embracing many of Likewise, strategic opportunities in tradi
than what has been seen in the past few years. these operator managers and refers to them as tional world financial centers should not be
While global diversification will still drive long “emerging managers.” To call them emerging overlooked. Given current pricing relative to
term allocation decisions, investors may need managers belittles their longstanding presence historic pricing and replacement cost, London,
to take another view with shortterm investment and importance in the investment world. Oper New York, Singapore, and Sydney are compel
decisions until debt and equity capital markets ator managers are the entrepreneurial univer ling prospects.
have stabilized. In the short term, investments sal joints in the real estate investment system, Lastly, middleincome strategies for retail
will be made in product that has been hard to taking primary risk in focused strategies, timing and residential investment in emerging econ
acquire for institutional portfolios and in mar markets, and feeding institutional demand for omies should perform well for many years.
kets posing historical barriers to entry. property. Plan sponsors are now realizing that Middlemarket strategies for retail in Sin
Traditional allocation strategies are often they do not need the middlemen in the roles gapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sao Paolo, and Rio
illustrated in pie charts that divide the world they have been playing for the last 15 years— de Janeiro are worthy considerations as are
into North America, Europe, and Asia, and oc they can go directly to the operator managers. middleincome residential properties in Bei
casionally include Latin America and the Mid Local markets have changed as regional jing, Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paolo.
dle East/North Africa. Analysts customarily are economies have evolved and, therefore, the rel The big question on everyone’s mind is
prone to simplify and categorize risk by geog ative strengths of markets will remain unknown market timing. People ask, “Are we at the bot
raphy. However, experience tells us that the for some time. For example, we will not see the tom?” or say things such as, “We will only
United States is drastically different by culture, effects of increased government intervention in start investing once we have hit the bottom,”
values, and economic productivity across the the economies of the United States and United as if all investing is a mapped rollercoaster
different regions of the country; Europe and Kingdom immediately. We will not know what ride of ups and downs. Both the top and bot
Asia are no different. the Chinese economic stimulus package will tom of the market are fictitious as finite points
To oversimplify these markets downplays do to promote internal consumption, and what of value defined by capitalization rates. They
the significant cultural differences across each that will mean for the rest of the world’s exports are spans of time during which the predom
continent, and therefore it is not wise to make to China. In the long term, inflation and domes inant flow of capital either leaves or enters
diversification decisions simply based on geo tic consumption in developing economies and, the market. The “top” or “bottom” of the mar
graphical boundaries. Allocations need to be most notably, China, will be key drivers for in ket is determined by the relative value plays
focused by country, and investors must try to vestment decision making. in the market, whether it is spread over debt
understand inherent limitations to transpar But while the longterm strengths of re rates or premiums over actuarial benchmark
ency, liquidity, and the rule of law for each. gional economies may not be clear, the short returns. The process is entirely one of self
In choosing countries for allocations, it is fun term reality of pricing core opportunities at determinism. You do not wait for it to happen;
damentally important to first grade individ valueadded prices is clear. Investments in it happens when you act. UL
ual country risk, followed by individual mar technology and infrastructure to promote
ket risk, and then individual property risk. If a world supply chains have been made. Stra Paul P hilliPS is senior vice president of IDI
country risk measurement does not grade high tegic core investment opportunities in logis Investment Management at IDI, a full-service industrial
enough, do not go there. Not all countries de tics and industrial properties along the sup real estate company headquartered in Atlanta,
serve capital allocations, so always think stra ply chains of world markets are compelling Georgia, offering development, investment, property
tegically when making these decisions. and should include Shanghai, Amsterdam/ management, and leasing services.
august 2009 U r b a n La n D 75
76 U r b a n La n D August 2009
(,--.//01.23
a boutique
China’s !"#$%#&'()**+##
Principal,'(,--.//01.23
,nvestment banker and
Opportunities
financial services services
firms on Senior Visiting Fellow,
investments and Center for Real Estate Law,
Peking University
transactions
in China by Malcolm Riddell Academic Leader for China
real estate exec programs,
since 1988
Harvard University,
Graduate School of Design
in this issue of
DISCUSS YOUR URBANLAND 1.941.330.9998
CHINA PLANS malcolm.riddell@
AND QUESTIONS riddell-tseng.com
(,--.//01.23
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 77
proactive
at issue J e r r y W. S z aTa n
78 U r b a n La n D August 2009
Offering clients progressive waterfront
design solutions for an environmentally
sustainable future.
approximately 31.9 million allowances fluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, other steps. Individual states and Energy and Security Act (ACES, or
for the 2009-to-2011 compliance and sulfur hexafluoride) and even- provinces are at different stages of the Waxman-Markey Act), providing
period at $3.23 each; and almost 2.2 tually covering “nearly 90 percent of enacting enabling legislation. wide-ranging renewable energy, effi-
million allowances for the 2012 com- the region’s emissions.” The goal is ciency and climate control measures,
pliance period at $2.06 each. Since to reduce GHG emissions 15 percent Midwestern Greenhouse including a national greenhouse
the program inception’s, almost 111 below 2005 levels by 2020. Gas reduction accord gas cap-and-trade system. The bill
million allowances have been auc- WCI partners will begin report- (aCCOrD) sets caps for covered entities (large
tioned for more than $360 million; a ing emissions in 2011 and the first Six midwestern governors and one stationary sources emitting 25,000
secondary market is developing and three-year phase of the cap-and- Canadian premier (Illinois, Iowa, tons of GHGs annually and others)
future auctions will be held quarterly. trade program begins on January 1, Kansas, Manitoba, Michigan, Min- to reduce aggregate GHGs—it adds
2012, covering emissions from elec- nesota, and Wisconsin; observers a seventh gas: nitrogen trifluoride—3
The Western Climate tricity generation, industrial combus- are Indiana, Ohio, Ontario, and percent below their 2005 levels in
initiative tion at large sources, and industrial South Dakota) agreed in November 2012, 17 percent by 2020, 42 percent
The Western Climate Initiative (WCI), process emissions for which ade- 2007 to establish the Midwestern by 2030, and 83 percent by 2050. It
launched in February 2007, comprises quate measurement methods exist. Greenhouse Gas Reduction Accord sets minimum prices for carbon at
seven U.S. states and four Canadian The second phase will begin in 2015 (ACCORD) reduction targets and initial auctions. It gives allowances
provinces: initially Arizona, California, with expanding coverage to transpor- time frames and develop a market- to distributors of energy and to con-
New Mexico, Oregon, and Washing- tation fuels and residential, commer- based and multisector cap-and- sumers, trade-exposed businesses,
ton, later joined by Montana and cial, and industrial fuels not covered trade mechanism. and others to mitigate potential
Utah; and British Columbia, Mani- in the first phase. The plan calls for Controlling emissions in Midwest price hikes for energy. Initially, only
toba, Ontario, and Quebec. Six more a minimum 10 percent of allowances states will require more aggressive about 20 percent of allowances
U.S. states, one province, and six to be auctioned at the start, increas- efforts because it is the “most coal- will be auctioned, according to the
Mexican states are formal observers. ing to 25 percent by 2020; members dependent region in North America,” Washington, D.C.–based Pew Center
Together, the members represent can choose to auction more. according to ACCORD, and a carbon on Global Climate Change. Critically
more than 70 percent of the Cana- The work plan for 2009 to 2010, price potentially has greater impact for the regional programs, ACES pre-
dian economy and 20 percent of the released this past February, calls on regional residents and businesses. empts state programs from 2012 to
U.S. economy, according to the WCI. for developing auction procedures, Moreover, the manufacturing- and 2017, placing them on hold while the
The WCI calls its program the most a GHG-emissions reporting system, agriculture-based economy tends to federal program is established; after
comprehensive to date, covering the methodologies for establishing produce more GHGs, according to which states can enact more strin-
six most common GHGs (carbon diox- partner caps, economic modeling Jesse Heier, Washington director of gent measures if they choose. Com-
ide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydro- of policy and design options, and the D.C.-based Midwest Governors panies holding state allowances will
Conference of the Council of State be able to exchange them for federal
80 U r b a n La n D August 2009
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Oxford University and the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment
to Offer a New Master’s Program in Sustainable Urban Development
A new master’s program in sustainable urban development was created in mid-May by Oxford Univer-
sity’s department for continuing education and the Prince’s Foundation for the built environment. The Msc in
sustainable urban development, a part-time program scheduled to begin in september 2010, will provide an
analytical and integrated study of urban sustainability, urban design, and the management of urban develop-
ment. The two-year program is aimed at professionals in the fields of development, sustainability, architecture,
engineering, surveying, and planning—including architects, planners, land economists, landscape architects,
property developers, urbanists, and those working in the property finance sector.
“sustainability is becoming a goal of many city plans, and is increasingly informing the practice of
architecture, urbanism, landscape design, and environmental planning,” notes Johnathan Michie, direc-
tor of Oxford University’s department for continuing education. “Given the growing worldwide pressure
for identifiable change in this crucial area, this is an appropriate time to launch an applied postgraduate
course aimed at early and mid-career practitioners currently working [in] these sectors.”
The program, says Hank Dittmar, chief executive of the Prince’s Foundation for the built environment,
“will give professionals in any of the key disciplines the multidisciplinary skills they need to plan and
development sustainable cities, towns, and districts.”
For more information about the master’s program in sustainable urban development: http://cpd.conted.ox.ac.uk/msud/
default.asp.
82 U r b a n La n D August 2009
nyu’s
school of
continuing and
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studies
New York University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution. ©2009 New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies
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84 U r b a n La n D August 2009
???? ?????? ??????????? ?? M Th F c ...
???? ?? ?h? University of Maryland ??? ????????
The What we offer?
F?????????? V????? ? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ???????????
? ????????? ?? ???? ?????? ???????????
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? ????????????????? ??????? ??? ??????????
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2008, launched Green Street De- able practices and integrated urban
86 U r b a n La n D August 2009
proactive
solution file W i L L i a M p. M aC h T
Brewing Power
The production of beer brewery in Japan, Sierra Nevada electrode via an external circuit. These
requires a large amount of uninter- decided to do the same. electrons meet the hydrogen and
The largest California craft
ruptible heat and power. On a quest Fuel cells create electricity through push charged ions across the electro- brewer cogenerates power
for stable and sustainable energy at an electrochemical process that pro- lyte and cause hydrogen and oxygen
reasonable prices, Chico, California– duces energy by combining hydro- to combine to form water. The direct and heat for its brewery
based Sierra Nevada Brewery has gen and oxygen into water. Like gas current (DC) charge then passes
turned to stationary fuel cells for engines, fuel cells can use natural through an inverter to become alter- from stationary gas-fueled
heat and power for its building gas or biogas hydrocarbons as the nating current (AC), and is routed hydrogen fuel cells.
and brewing operations. source of hydrogen fuel. Unlike those through the electric meter before
Earlier this decade, California’s engines, however, they discharge powering the brewery’s equipment.
antiquated electrical grid sent rolling very few harmful emissions. The brewery’s fuel cells use car-
blackouts throughout the state, forc- Invented by English physicist bonate, a melted mixture of lithium
ing millions of homes and businesses William Grove in 1839, the fuel cell potassium salts, as the catalyst.
to deal with unexpected power out- has long been heralded as a next- Other types of fuel cells use different
ages. “It was very important to have a generation power supply. Expensive catalysts with different operating con-
reliable clean source of power,” says components, limited hydrogen gen- ditions. FuelCell Energy’s direct fuel
Bill Manley, communications director eration, and meager power output cells operate at 47 percent efficiency
for brewery. “We brew batches of 800 left the technology to scientists until with internal temperatures between
barrels at a time. If we lose power at the 1960s when NASA needed a 1,200 and 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit
any point during the process, then power source for prolonged space (649 to 704 degrees Celsius), which
we will have a significant loss on our missions. Fuel cells emerged as is necessary to separate the hydrogen
hands.” The outages and California’s the best solution and were used to from the gas fuel, producing waste
energy market deregulation com- power Apollo and Gemini. The tech- heat at 650 to 750 degrees F (343
bined to create unpredictable power nology has matured and fuel cells to 399 degrees C). They are called
and disruptive price fluctuations. have proven to be a reliable source direct fuel cells because they create
Fossil fuel–based central power of clean and quiet power. They are their own hydrogen from hydrocar-
plants typically transform only about particularly viable for isolated loca- bon gases. Vehicle manufacturers The production of beer requires large
a third of their British thermal unit tions without grid access or where have invested heavily in proton amounts of uninterruptible heat
and power. The need for continuous
(BTU) input into electricity, losing installing new service is cost pro- exchange membrane (PEM) fuel power at the Sierra Nevada Brewery in
the remaining potential energy output hibitive or disruptive. cells, which operate at a low tem- Chico, California, ruled out both solar
to heat and transmission losses. By In 2004, the brewery signed a perature but require pure hydrogen photovoltaic and wind power, which
generating its own power through five-year agreement with FuelCell and expensive metals, like platinum. require a steady source of sun or wind
distributed power generation tech- to maintain full power, or large battery
Energy to install and operate four Carbonate cells are able to achieve
arrays for storage. Stationary fuel cells
nologies, the brewery could elimi- 250-kilowatt fuel cells. The fuel higher efficiencies with cheaper provide continuous power and heat.
nate a large proportion of these cells have since been improved to
losses and dramatically reduce its a 300-kilowatt rating, supplying 1.2
environmental impact. megawatts of power (enough to
The 14-acre (5.7-ha) plant operates power 800 to 1,300 homes) and
24 hours a day, seven days a week, approximately 55 percent of the
brewing 700,000 barrels of beer a plant’s current power usage.
year. The need for continuous power The small shipping container–
ruled out both solar photovoltaic and sized fuel cells have three main
wind power, which require a steady components. First, the natural or
source of sun or wind to maintain methane gas passes through a
full power. The company initially reformer, where the gas is sepa-
turned to conventional gas-powered rated into hydrogen and carbon
generators, but upon learning that waste. It is then piped into the
the Danbury, Connecticut–based stack, where the electrochemical
company FuelCell Energy had in- reaction occurs. The fuel is oxidized
stalled its first commercial station- at the anode electrode, releasing
ary fuel cell to power the Kirin electrons that move to the cathode
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 87
solution file
88 U r b a n La n D August 2009
One team, one territory
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self storage
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in print,etc.
Why your World is about tic salmon is a case in point. Cheap emissions, it could also bring long-
to Get a Whole Lot shipping and Asian labor changed lost jobs back to the United States,
Smaller: Oil and the end salmon from a local seafood to where manufactured goods can
of Globalization a global commodity. Caught off be produced for roughly half the
Norway, frozen, and shipped to China carbon emissions.
JeFF rUbIN
rANDOM HOUse, 1745 brOADWAY,
for processing and then refrozen and Meanwhile, the United States
NeW YOrK, NY 10019; sent to U.S. supermarkets two months needs to lessen the economy’s
www.randomhouse.com
later, “fresh” salmon consumes much dependence on oil. Instead of
2009. 287 pages. $26.
more energy in its production than supporting the auto industry and
Jeff Rubin, the energy expert and it generates in its consumption. building freeways, transit subsi-
former chief economist at CIBC World The service sector will decline dies should be increased. Solar
Markets—a subsidiary of the Cana- because the United States will and geothermal energy should be
dian Imperial Bank of Commerce— have to produce many goods that substituted for coal and oil. Land
was among the first economists the country previously could afford use planning for greenbelts and
to predict soaring oil prices due to to import, such as cars, televisions, farmland preservation should be
peak oil. In Why Your World Is About clothing, and steel. The things that supported. Rather than propping
to Get a Whole will continue to be imported, such as up a collapsing way of life based
Lot Smaller: Oil coffee, will cost a lot more. The tech- on car-dependent suburbs, invest-
and the End of nological innovations aimed at cut- ments should be made instead in
Globilization, ting down on both gasoline use and redeveloping the country’s dense
Rubin details emissions, such as electric cars, will urban centers.
what’s happen- need major new sources of electricity
ing in the oil that can come only from building new DaviD r. GoDSChalK is professor
industry and nuclear power plants as the United emeritus of city and regional planning at the
argues that glo- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
States turns away from burning coal.
balization will Even if North America and Europe
end as oil prices meet their Kyoto Treaty obligations,
hungry City: how Food
go up and oil the growth in oil consumption and Shapes Our Lives
availability goes greenhouse gas emissions in the CArOLYN sTeeL
down. No longer developing world will dwarf any CHATTO & WINDUs/rANDOM HOUse
20 VAUxHALL brIDGe rOAD, LONDON
supported by declines in the developed world. sW1V 2sA; www.rbooks.co.uk
abundant and Three years ago, China passed the 2008. 383 pages. $16.50.
cheap oil, the United States, becoming the largest In Hungry City: How Food Shapes
global economy, single emitter country in the world, Our Lives, author Carolyn Steel, an
dependent on and India and developing countries architect, researcher, and teacher,
moving things around the world, will also are producing more cars and posits that if we are “to understand
shrink to more local dimensions. building more coal-fired plants. cities properly, we need to look at
More food will come from local Rubin believes that the answer to them through food.” Hungry City
fields and more products will come the worldwide problem of burgeon- advises us in no uncertain terms
from local factories. We will drive ing emissions from the developing that “if the global future is urban,
less, walk more, and shop and work countries could be an appeal to as every indication suggests it is,
closer to home. Smart growth will be their economic self-interest through we need to take an urgent look at
spurred by the high costs of transpor- imposing a carbon tariff. The first step what that means.”
tation, as well as rising interest rates, is to enact a cap-and-trade policy at Steel examines the evolution of
and distant suburbs may be depop- home, as the Obama Administration how we’ve fed ourselves from the
ulated and reclaimed by nature. New has proposed and the U.S. House beginning of man and ends the book
work opportunities may arise as approved in June. The second step is by looking at the recent past and its
triple-digit oil prices reduce China’s to impose a carbon tariff that goes up idealized utopian settlements, then
wage advantage and make Western with increases in the emissions that into the near future of a planned
workers competitive once again. have gone into producing goods for eco-city juxtaposed to a 31 million–
Rubin shows how cheap energy export. This would be more effec- person eco-disaster waiting to
has powered our markets and shaped tive than another round of Kyoto happen—Chongqing, China.
our tastes, and how its absence will talks calling for voluntary cuts. Before the discovery of agriculture
upset much of contemporary daily life, Not only will it give an incentive to there were no cities; hunter-gatherers
starting with the things we eat. Atlan- developing countries to reduce their tracked and killed beasts as their
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 91
in print, etc.
basic sustenance. Fast-forward and locally—in much of the Western world. eat now is produced and distributed as physical expressions of public
put simply, man discovered how to Yet, even though a greater awareness by huge agribusiness conglomerates. life and public space, but as food
grow and store grain, a means that of the benefits of supporting local Along with the discussion of “highways” where we rush through
provided a surplus food source to sus- growers and markets has come about food supply and demand, Steel artificial light and air grabbing what
tain an emerging and organized civil in recent years, most of the food we maintains that food insecurity in we need as quickly as possible for
society. The city was born. Since that the developing world is directly the sake of convenience.
time, the rural, the land in nature, has connected to the abundance Hungry City deftly shows how
always mirrored the way we live and of food that is enjoyed in more food has played a crucial role in the
treat the source of our food. developed countries. This connec- way society has evolved and the
The local market used to serve tion stems from a “global food urgent need to act on its impact on
as the most convenient source of system gone mad,” a modern food the planet. Our environment is dan-
a family’s food, as well as a public industry that “is a law unto itself,” gerously compromised to feed the
center. Farmers grew crops and and a transnational cartel with more world. While prices rise, irreplace-
came to town to supply the demand. political clout than government. able Amazonian rain forests go up
Although small farmers and produc- Food battles rage, not just due to in smoke to make way for beef and
ers, along with local suppliers and the power of the conglomerate, but soya. What we eat—and how we
retailers, faded from view for quite because in the city, food and where get it—should be our primary envi-
some time with the rise of large- it is purchased—whether in a public ronmental concern, not so much
scale grocery chains, farmers’ mar- market or in a sidewalk café— for the health of our bodies, but
kets are now beginning to supply represent society itself. Modern urgently for the health of our planet.
the demands of “locavores”—i.e., supermarkets have weakened the
people who are dedicated to consum- social glue where public life serves to Debra hill is a writer who lives in Chapel Hill,
ing food that is grown or produced hold cities together. They do not serve North Carolina.
92 U r b a n La n D August 2009
proactive
trustee profile rOberT KrUeGer
August 2009 U r b a n La n D 93
urbanland Coming in
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Spotlight/New York/Massachusetts
Further north, codevelopers Jonathan Rose Companies “Many developers and designers are rethinking their proj-
(JRCo) and Phipps Houses, in partnership with Datt- ects and changing them in scope and size as dictated
ner architects and grimshaw architects, hope to break by current projected market needs,” Madden continues.
ground later this year on Via Verde, an affordable hous- “the developments are not going to be the same as
ing development in the south Bronx that was the win- when they were initially conceived a couple of years ago.
ning entry in New York City’s first juried design competi- Certain projects will move forward, but we’ll probably
tion for affordable, sustainable housing, the New Housing not see the same pace of development as we’ve seen
New York Legacy Project (NHNY). Comprising traditional in the recent past. Even in this economic environment,
apartments, duplexes, and live/work units, the $100 mil- there are places that need to be developed and people
lion, 294,000-square-foot (27,313-sq-m) mixed-use devel- who would love to develop them.”
opment will serve residents with a range of incomes. Paul Freitag, a regional director of development at
and in Queens, Vornado Realty trust has begun Jonathan Rose Companies, the New York City–head-
construction on the $550 million Rego Park Center, a quartered mission-based, multidisciplinary real estate
mixed-use development that is one of the first attempts development, planning, consulting, and investment firm,
to bring big-box retail to an urban infill location. three emphasizes that there is always a need for affordable
floors of retail space—694,000 square feet (64,474 sq housing in New York City. JRCo and its partners won
m)—will supplement the existing malls in the area; a an international design competition for the Via Vende
pedestrian promenade will link the Rego retail with sur- site last year. “We were asked to create a model for the
rounding residential streets. next generation of green affordable housing on a narrow,
to paraphrase Mark twain, the reports of the death brownfield site that used to be a railroad right-of-way,”
of New York City’s real estate market may be exagger- he explains. “It is an extremely challenging site, but we
ated. Real estate development is still occurring in the Big have been able to hold true to our competition proposal.
apple, notes Paul Madden, an associate and director of We expect to close on the Via Verde development later
projects for New York City–based Kenneth Park archi- in the fall and complete construction in two years.”
tects. the difference nowadays, he adds, is more caution. Via Vende’s stepped design is intended to integrate city
and nature, with connected green rooftops that will be
used to harvest rainwater, grow fruits and vegetables, and
provide open space for residents, he adds. “Within their
own development, Via Verde residents will be able to
have a wonderful connection back to nature in this very
dense setting,” Freitag says. “Via Vende is designed to
exceed LEED gold standards for environmentally respon-
sible and energy-efficient design and will demonstrate
New York City’s commitment to innovative development.”
While the current real estate market is challenging,
says Eric Fang, an associate principal at New York’s
Ehrenkrantz Eckstut & Kuhn architects, it is provid-
ing opportunities for well-thought-out development
by builders who have confidence in the city’s future.
“We’ve always found this is the most opportune time for
planning—a time to take a step back and make strategic
decisions in preparation for the upturn,” he continues.
“Rockefeller Center was developed in the middle of
96 U r b a n La n D august 2009
CBS HalfPgHoriz_V2:CBS HalfPgHoriz_V2 7/30/09 11:49 AM Page 1
The Paul Milstein Center for Real Estate and Columbia Business School
express their appreciation to the following individuals and companies
for the preparation of teaching cases prepared for
Columbia CaseWorks, 2008–09:
Jeffrey T. Blau, The Related Companies, LP David Hodes, Hodes Weill & Associates
Tavis Cannell ’06, Goldman Sachs Nancy Lashine ’81, Park Madison Partners LLC
Michael Coster, Lazard Freres Paul Pariser ’78, Taconic Investment Partners LLC
Michael Fascitelli, Vornado Realty Trust Glenn J. Rufrano, Centro Properties Group
Michelle Felman, Vornado Realty Trust Edward Shugrue, Guggenheim Partners, LLC
Gary R. Garrabrant, Equity International Brian R. Steinwurtzel ’04, Newmark Knight Frank
MaryAnne Gilmartin, Forest City Ratner Companies Christopher Taube ’03, Aetos Capital, LLC
98 U r b a n La n D august 2009
Research and training for policy and practice
Left: Village Commons, South Hadley, MA Above: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield, MA
Cubellis
bay State builders adjusting to the new Market
T h a n k s T o n i m b l e e n T r e p r e n e u r s adjusting quickly lion from several state and federal affordable housing
to the market by offering products that are needed and programs and tax credits to support 39 affordable rental
designers and architects who continue to stress sustain- housing projects with over 2,000 units. “He made the
ability, Massachusetts is experiencing real estate devel- announcement at the site of spencer Row, a proposed
opment. some agile developers have managed to stay 32-unit development of the nonprofit Chelsea Neighbor-
ahead of the pack by surveying the industry and quickly hood Developers,” Heikin says. “the project is one of five
changing their plans, says steven a. Heikin, vice presi- projects funded through these awards for which ICON
dent and senior principal at Boston-based ICON architec- architecture, inc., which specializes in affordable housing
ture, inc. “avenir, a transit-oriented development [tOD] design, is serving as architect.”
directly above the MBta’s North station rapid transit ICON is also serving as architect and planner on two
station—across the street from the tD Banknorth garden more trinity Financial projects. the Hamilton Canal Dis-
and North station commuter rail terminal—was repo- trict, a 15-acre (6-ha) mixed-use development site in
sitioned at the beginning of the real estate downtown Lowell, has received stimulus dollars to facilitate initial
from a condominium development to rental without infrastructure design and construction, as well as tax
skipping a beat in the planned construction schedule,” credits to help finance the restoration of the historic
he says. “the fully permitted project was sold by the appleton Mills into affordable artists’ live/work units,
original developer, trinity Financial of Boston, to arch- Heikin adds. similarly, the 206-unit Washington Beech
stone, while trinity remained on the project to manage HOPE VI development in Boston’s Roslindale neighbor-
construction. the 242-unit structure, which includes hood received both tax credits and stimulus dollars. “One
30,000 square feet [2,787-sq-m] of ground-floor retail, of only five HOPE VI developments nationally to receive
was completed in June.” substantial HuD grants in the last year of the Bush
In fact, the market for rental housing—which was administration, the new Washington Beech is already
never overbuilt in Massachusetts—seems to be regain- under construction,” he says.
ing strength. “this is particularly true of affordable and art stadig, vice president of Walker Parking Consul-
workforce housing, which, in a high-cost area like Boston, tants in Boston, a full-service engineering and architec-
remains in demand,” he continues. Earlier this year, ture firm, says Massachusetts developers, designers, and
governor Deval Patrick announced awards of $108 mil- architects are more optimistic now compared to the
past several months. “People are breathing a little easier
and emotions are getting a little bit better in terms of
ICON is the architect and planner for the actual activity,” he explains. “It has been slow in coming,
Hamilton Canal District, a 15-acre (6-ha)
but many believe we’re at or near the bottom, so we’re
mixed-use development in Lowell.
looking toward slow, steady growth this year—nothing
rapid—but hopefully by this time next year, we’ll feel an
improvement in the development sector.”
Boston remains a “pretty solid” real estate market
because forward-thinking entrepreneurs saw the drop-
off in demand and adjusted the pace of development,
stadig says. “a lot of people hit the pause button on
building and slowed or stopped work on a lot of oppor-
tunities that had been out there,” he says. “Everyone
bonDy stuDio
Watch
your neighbors
commute
to work.
GReGG shuPe
m) at 200 Berkeley street.
tenants are seeking value with respect to rents and
relocation alternatives, Perry adds. “the downward pres-
Avenir, a recently completed transit-oriented development sure on rents will continue until the addition of sublease
directly above the MBTA’s North Station rapid transit station in inventory subsides,” he says. “the development pipeline
Boston, was designed by ICON architecture, inc. for any sizable construction projects will be stalled until
economy just as badly as anyone else, but it hasn’t been a sense of confidence and stability returns to the capital
as devastating here yet.” markets.”
Overall, the Massachusetts economy appears to be One of the hottest emerging trends in the Massachu-
stabilizing, agrees Richard W. Rankin, principal at Boston- setts real estate marketplace is acquiring mortgage debt
based Cubellis, a national architecture, interior design, from lenders at discounted prices, says andrew H. Kara,
and engineering services firm. He adds that many strong an attorney in the Boston office of full-service law firm of
retail real estate investment trusts (REIts) are raising Hinckley, allen & snyder LLP. “Buyers of discounted debt
capital and seeking opportunities to capitalize on the dis- can potentially achieve very high rates of return through
tressed market and position themselves for the expected either foreclosing a mortgage and obtaining ownership
development uptick. “Firms are positioning themselves of the mortgaged property, collecting monthly mortgage
for the future,” he says. “Currently, we’re seeing more payments at a default rate of interest, or being paid off at
repositioning of existing centers and many owners are the original principal amount of the mortgage loan when
spending dollars now to upgrade tired properties.” it was purchased at a substantial discount,” he continues.
Connell Cohasset greenbush LLC has broken ground While purchasing commercial mortgage loans at
on Old Colony square at Cohasset station, a mixed-use, discounted prices seems like a great opportunity for
retail-anchored project in the heart of a tOD district, he investors, there are a number of legal issues to be con-
points out. the development includes a two-story build- sidered, he cautions. “Buyers of commercial real estate
ing with 32,000 square feet (2,972 sq m) of retail space mortgages are granted very short periods of time—
on the ground and 16 luxury apartments above as well as sometimes as little as five to seven days—to conduct
a freestanding 3,400-square-foot (316-sq-m) retail pad. their due diligence,” he says. “In addition, lenders will
the site was formerly home to a boat storage yard and provide only very limited due diligence information to
a small retail center. Old Colony square is expected to prospective buyers and often will not let buyers visit the
be completed by next spring. “New development is just properties. Finally, lender liability under state laws and
inching along,” Rankin says. “there may be some tenta- potential bankruptcy filings by the borrower can create
other issues.”
Spencer Row is a proposed 32-unit development of the nonprofit Kara says he isn’t worried about the future of real
Chelsea Neighborhood Developers outside Boston. ICON estate in the Bay state. “While the Massachusetts mar-
architecture, inc., is the architect. ketplace, like other marketplaces around the country, is
currently challenged, Massachusetts possesses a number
of unique attributes including historically limited new con-
struction because of a stringent permitting process, one
of the best college and university systems in the world,
and a host of the top-tier hospitals, biotech companies,
and pharmaceutical companies that will allow it to recover
[more quickly] than other markets when the economy
iCon aRChiteCtuRe, inC.
Copley Wolff Design Group produced this advertising report and is wholly responsible for its contents.
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urbanland coming in
october 2009
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www.copley-wolff.com OBM International. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 The Wall Street Journal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6, 56
The Cordish Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 www.obmi.com WSJ.com/CommercialRealEstate
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Goulston & Storrs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 PNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover WLS Lighting Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
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Green Experts Resource Guide . . . . . . . . . 104-107
akerman.com
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