San Francisco becomes the 40th city statewide to legislate a ban on natural gas in development projects.
San Francisco has followed in Berkeley's historic 2019 footsteps to place a city-wide ban on the use of natural gas in new buildings.
"In a meeting on Tuesday, the city's Board of Supervisors passed legislation requiring new residential and commercial building construction to utilize all-electric power, starting with projects that file permits next year," reports Kristin Musulin.
The ordinance comes as part of an ongoing effort on the part of city officials to reduce climate change-fueling carbon dioxide emissions, says District 8 Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, connecting the state's brutal 2020 wildfire season to the destructive effects of climate change.
"The board's unanimous vote concludes nearly a year of deliberation with the Zero Emissions Building Taskforce, Mandelman said, which brought together affordable housing and mixed-use developers, architects and engineers, labor and building trades and community advocates to craft the legislation," writes Musulin.
Since Berkeley passed a groundbreaking gas banning ordinance in 2019, 40 cities in California have followed suit. Musulin reports that ordinance proponents are now looking to large cities like Los Angeles to pass gas ban legislation and for Governor Gavin Newsom to champion statewide legislation.
Musulin's article lays out several lines of reasoning for San Francisco's recent ordinance and describes how "a shift to all-electric construction can be done incrementally to ensure it doesn't overburden industries."
FULL STORY: San Francisco's gas ban on new buildings could prompt statewide action
The High Cost of Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging
There's nothing like the convenience of charging one's electric vehicle at home, assuming you have a garage, driveway, or your apartment building has a charger. California cities and utilities are working to increase EV infrastructure on all fronts.
Bay Area Not Prepared for Next Big One
As the death toll from Mexico's 7.1 magnitude earthquake on Sept. 19 climbs above 300, the San Francisco Chronicle investigates how well prepared the Bay Area is for an earthquake of comparable magnitude. Not very well.
Cities Try To Figure Out How To Be 'Resilient'
The organization 100 Resilient Cities has funded 'chief resilience officers' in 66 cities worldwide. It's helping four California cities prepare for 'stresses and shocks' including earthquakes, sea level rise, and even poverty.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
Test News Post 1
This is a summary
Test News Headline 46
Test for the image on the front page.
Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service