Sustainable Development Focus
URBAN LAND - Oct 18 A new report from ULI’s Greenprint Center for Building Performance shows that the commercial real estate industry is making significant progress in reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions, water use, and waste disposal. The Greenprint Center, which is part of ULI’s Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance, comprises an alliance of the world’s leading real estate owners, investors, and financial institutions that are committed to improving environmental performance across the global property industry. The report, which analyzes the performance of nearly 8,000 properties globally owned by Greenprint’s members, demonstrates a 3.3 percent reduction in energy consumption, a 3.4 percent reduction in carbon emissions, and a 2.9 percent reduction in water use between 2016 and 2017.
THE MERCURY NEWS - Oct 22 Up to $6 billion for affordable housing is on the line in November as California voters prepare to weigh in on two statewide bonds that could fund tens of thousands of new homes in the Bay Area and beyond — potentially making a dent in the housing shortage. City officials, nonprofits, and developers say they’re counting on Proposition 1, which would provide $4 billion for affordable housing construction and home loans, and Proposition 2, which would authorize $2 billion to build housing for people with mental illness, to help them fill the dire need for cheaper alternatives to the Bay Area’s exorbitantly priced homes and apartments. If Proposition 1 succeeds, it would be the first statewide general housing bond passed since voters authorized a $2.9 billion bond in 2006.
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE - Oct 22 According to a report released by the Environmental Health Coalition this Monday, San Diego has spent little on implementing its 2015 Climate Action Plan and failed to track how much of that funding has gone to disadvantaged communities. The report said that more than half of the $129 million allocated this year for climate change went to programs that likely would have happened regardless of the Climate Action Plan. Programs such as the city’s water recycling program, Pure Water, may help reduce greenhouse gases but they don’t represent new commitments under the climate plan. The report calls on the city to advocate for an expanded bus network using zero-emission vehicles within the city’s urban core to address climate changes as well as air pollution. Advocates also recommended implementing a program that would help low-income neighborhoods get access to solar power, as well as water- and energy-efficiency upgrades.
LOS ANGELES TIMES - Oct 16 To hang on to state funding, Los Angeles will eliminate a disputed requirement that gave city politicians the power to block funding for homeless housing in their districts. The decision ends a longstanding practice that has drawn criticism from nonprofit groups that assist poor and homeless people: Under city regulations, L.A. has required developers seeking funding for homeless and affordable housing projects to obtain a “letter of acknowledgment” from the City Council member who represents the area.
CAPITAL PUBLIC RADIO - Oct 22 Sometimes a sustainable farming practice is as simple as not doing something. That’s the takeaway from a recent project conducted by UC Davis researchers, who found that delaying irrigation of walnuts led to similar crop yields and healthier trees in comparison to those that received water sooner. UC Davis plant scientist Ken Shackel says the research could lead the way to more efficient water use in the tree nut industry. Funding for the research came from the California Walnut Board. Walnuts are one of California's top 10 agricultural products. The value of the 2017 crop was $1.5 billion according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
MICROGRID KNOWLEDGE - Oct 25 San Diego Zoo Global has chosen a unit of EDF Renewables North America to provide a 1-megawatt energy storage system that is designed to reduce energy costs while limiting emissions at the zoo. The zoo will use the storage project to smooth spikes in energy usage, thereby, lowering demand charges. The system will also minimize energy costs by recharging the battery when wholesale electricity prices are low and discharging power to the zoo when costs are high.
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE - Oct 23 The Trump administration is proposing rules for investors in a new program that it says could have a big impact on economically depressed areas around the country. About 8,700 so-called "opportunity zones" have been set up in all 50 states to lure investors and developers with tax breaks. The rules from the Treasury Department, issued last Friday, lay out the period of time that individuals or companies must hold on to their investments in the zones to avoid paying taxes on resulting profits. Administration officials say the goal of the program, established by the new tax law enacted last December, is to create businesses and jobs in low-income areas and lift residents out of poverty.
