Sidestepping Zoning to Build Green in NYC

Even in New York City, it's a pain to try to "green" a building with insulation, overhangs, and other methods that violate zoning. Katharine Jose reports on the Zone Green Text Amendment, which addresses such impediments, and the team behind it.

1 minute read

January 31, 2012, 6:00 AM PST

By Judy Chang

"The amendment, which is currently under public review-meaning it's been referred for comment to community boards, borough boards and borough presidents, before city planning approves a version for the City Council to consider-is the product of the Green Codes Task Force, a panel pulled together by the Bloomberg administration and the nonprofit Urban Green Council; last year it released an in-depth analysis of the city's building codes, with a mission 'to remove zoning impediments to the construction and retrofitting of green buildings.'

This was desperately needed because, as [the city's deputy director of sustainability Howard] Slatkin said, standing in front of a black-and-white slide of a just-built LeFrak City, 'a lot of the regulations that were drawn up with zoning were not drawn up with the notion of promoting green buildings.'

According to PlaNYC-the mayor's master plan for the city-buildings generate 75 percent of the city's greenhouse-gas emissions. The zoning code has been in effect for 50 years, since long before the concept of 'greenhouse gasses' even existed."

FULL STORY: On making 'green' building in New York City a less terrible experience

Monday, January 30, 2012 in Capital New York

Land Use Technology Urban Development New York Zoning Green Building New York City View More

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