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Can the US do ‘slow’ urban development?
Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building MaterialsThe Cittaslow ("Slow City") movement, launched by a group of small Italian towns in the late 1990s, professes to "do for urban planning what the Slow Food movement has done for agriculture." It calls for a slower form of city- and town-making based on values of environmental sustainability, craft, seasonality, and the revaluing of local history and heritage. As their manifesto states, the movement strives for "towns where men are still curious of the old times."
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The benefits of VR are so broad, they’re beyond tangible
Joseph Zulick Science & TechnologyAmidst all the hype and wide-eyed growth predicted for virtual reality, it's often difficult for stakeholders to decide which of its two words to focus on. Will VR deliver only indirect, "virtual" benefits to businesses or direct, tangible benefits that become bottom-line reality? On this topic, today's hype will definitely become tomorrow's given. Even in these earliest days, VR is already a game-changer, and the future holds immense promise for almost every business vertical.
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Forecasters project high demand for remodeling services will continue
Michael J. Berens Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesRemodeling activity is at levels not seen for some years. Fueled by economic, market and demographic trends, demand is likely to remain strong for the next several years, according to some recent forecasts. The growth trajectory may level off somewhat, but remodelers and designers will have plenty of work to keep busy. Affirming earlier data showing that remodeling activity picked up this spring, Metrostudy recently announced that its Residential Remodeling Index (RRI) hit an all-time high in the second quarter of this year.
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California signs new clean energy law while fires still burn
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentAutumn weather has arrived in many places, bringing with it all of the usual changes, but you may not know this from the ongoing wildfire saga that continues summer burning conditions into fall. All eyes are now on the Delta fire, which started burning on Sept. 5. The fire exploded onto Interstate 5, a major highway that runs from Canada to Mexico, causing the interstate’s closure over the weekend. As of the afternoon of Sept. 10, that highway has been reopened. Cal Fire reports already spending $432 million through August, leaving only $11 million in the current budget. Legislators have been asked to approve an additional $234 million for ongoing expenses.
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Natural disasters collide with airports in Japan
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveIt’s been a challenging start to September for airport operators in Japan. The country has faced the effects of a typhoon and a 6.7 magnitude earthquake. Neither are unusual phenomena in the Land of the Rising Sun. However, in these particular instances, major airports and their travelers were severely impacted by the events. Typhoon Jebi hit the eastern part of the island nation on Sept. 4 and was the worst experienced in 25 years. It caused damage to buildings and infrastructure, loss of power supplies, and towering seas and storm surges along the shoreline.
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Time: How designers and clients see it differently
Susan Mulholland Interior Design, Furnishings & FixturesWhat do you tell your clients when they ask how much time it will take to do a particular project? Time is always an issue when a client is thinking about hiring an interior designer. We often charge by the hour, so if a project takes more time than clients think it should, they are less likely to hire you. Being upfront about your fees and how you work make for a good start to getting a client to understand how you view and use time.
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California marches toward 100 percent renewable energy by 2045
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalCalifornia is racing toward a 100 percent renewable energy mandate with passage of SB 100 by the state’s Assembly, which will require — if ratified into law — the state to receive 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2026; 60 percent by 2030, and 100 percent by 2045. Eligible renewables specified in the state's Renewables Portfolio Standard include solar, wind, geothermal and some hydroelectric generation. The current law requires the state to get 50 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2030.
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Puerto Rico’s rising Hurricane Maria death toll a political matter
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentWhy do death tolls matter? Puerto Rico’s experience after Hurricane Maria reveals that deaths are deeply political — and financial. Just as we approach the one-year anniversary of Maria hitting the island, officials added 2,911 names to the list of the dead — from 64 to 2,975. What changed? More growing public frustration on an island already vulnerable to exploitation from its arguably antiquated status as a U.S. colony.
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The environmental rule changes that will impact us the most
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalEven the most diligent climate change policy trackers are having a hard time keeping abreast of recent changes at the federal level. Apparently, the replacement of Scott Pruitt with former coal lobbyist Andrew Wheeler as the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not yielded new results when it comes to the big environmental picture. So far, 46 environmental rules have been overturned by the Trump administration, with another 30 proposed rollbacks waiting in the wings. The EPA itself is responsible for one-third of these changes.
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Urban regeneration: The takeover of ‘cappuccino urbanism’
Lucy Wallwork Construction & Building MaterialsCitizens of "regenerated" districts will find the sight of yet another boutique café opening up on their local main street familiar. But as the pavements in the "thriving" cities of the West fill up simultaneously with cappuccino vendors and a growing homeless population, the cognitive dissonance becomes hard to ignore. Some are starting to ask if what has become known as "cappuccino urbanism" papers over a shallow approach to urban regeneration and belies a crucial lack of imagination.
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