Infill Considerations

A bit of private outdoor space: It’s essential to living well, and the newly opened Salvator on Arden Way in North Sacramento, provides it.

In this 120-unit community by developer Community Housing Works and Mogavero Architects, the balconies are generous. They will serve as outdoor rooms – places to escape, to think, feel the breeze, and take in a bit of nature.

As Arden Way is on the list for an infrastructure upgrade that will tear up the street, we can hope and advocate for the City to put the driving lanes on a “road diet” so that walkers, cyclists and especially trees can have more of the real estate.

This will give the balconies at the Salvator an even better connection to passers-by, as well as shade from larger trees to filter dust and particulates.

Green Means Go: The infrastructure upgrades along Arden Way are part of the City’s Green Zones. In a Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) program called Green Means Go, Green Zones have been identified by each jurisdiction as suitable for infill development, near transit, and in need of infrastructure improvement to enable new development.

The capacity improvements will be made to water, storm, and waste lines to “activate” nearby parcels, meaning, make them ready for a developer to do their work.

Inadequate infrastructure has been identified by SACOG and 26 of the 28 jurisdictions in the region as a major block to the re-development of centers, corridors, and established communities, so needed to accommodate our growing population.

The map below shows Green Zones identified by the City of Sacramento. For more information, see https://www.sacog.org/greenmeansgo.

For more information on the Salvator, see the recent Sac Bee article https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article276871883.html.

Green Building: David Chipperfield says “From a sustainability perspective and a resource perspective, we will be working much more with existing buildings. . .”

Mar 7, 2023 | PBS

From a sustainability perspective and a resource perspective, we will be working much more with existing buildings, not just monumental ones, and not just the obviously significant ones. But I think we are going to change our attitude towards the reuse and the refurbishment and the refitting of more ordinary buildings.

And I think this will be a big shift in the next 10 years.

Click here to read the article in full: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/renowned-architect-receiving-prestigious-pritzker-prize-questions-his-industrys-impact

Green Building: Why The Built Environment?

From https://architecture2030.org/why-the-building-sector/

We must eliminate all CO2 emissions from the built environment by 2040 to meet 1.5° Climate targets.

The Built Environment

The built environment generates 40% of annual global CO2 emissions. Of those total emissions, building operations are responsible for 27% annually, while building and infrastructure materials and construction (typically referred to as embodied carbon) are responsible for an additional 13% annually.

Click here to continue reading.

Green Building: Why Not Carbon Negative Concrete?

From Architect Magazine, https://www.architectmagazine.com/.

The imperative to reduce carbon emissions in the built environment is central to the Architecture 2030 Challenge.

Public and private sector research labs worldwide are racing to deliver carbon-reducing building materials. Chief among them: zero-carbon concrete.

Material scientists have made dramatic strides in recent years reimagining concrete composition and formulation. Commonly available manufacturing byproducts such as fly ash, bottom ash, slag, and other pozzolans are viable carbon emission-reducing replacements for traditional cement clinker.

Click here for the full article.

The EV Transition in Sacramento – Obstacles and Opportunities 5/31

Image source: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/Public-Works/Electric-Vehicle-Initiatives/EV-Charging-Locations

ECOS MTG / BOARD, May 31, 2023, 6:00 pm

LINK to join: ECOS ZOOM 6656164155 or call: 1 669 900 6833, Mtg ID: 665 616 4155

Featuring: The EV Transition in Sacramento – Obstacles and Opportunities

How do EVs fit into overall climate action to reduce carbon emissions? Is there a build-out plan for EV charging infrastructure? Who sets the price of electricity at the charger? How will people with lower incomes transition to EVs?

Presented by Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association

Thomas Hall, executive director of CleanStart, a regional non-profit, accelerating the energy transition. He is also an analyst at Clean Edge, curating clean tech indexes.
Cynthia Shallit, urban planner trained at UC Berkeley; recently retired from SHRA redevelopment and affordable housing projects group. She is involved in state and local politics related to global warming and gun control, and is working with a number of non-profit organizations in Sacramento on local climate action plans and state climate legislation.
Dwight MacCurdy, recently retired from SMUD Electric Transportation R&D group. He works with SacEV Association, Sacramento Clean Cities Coalition and EV Charging for All Coalition.

Click here for the agenda in PDF.

Green Means Go, and SB 743 – Join us Sept 29

Join ECOS to hear representatives from Caltrans and the Sacramento Council of Governments (SACOG) discuss recent State actions that provide good news for ECOS goals to reduce sprawl and encourage infill development. This saves habitat, reduces air pollution & climate change impacts, and encourages affordable housing.

Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 6:00 pm

Zoom Meeting ID 818 6537 7865 | Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81865377865 | Call-in: 1-669-900-6833

Click here for the agenda.

Green Means Go

The State has approved major funding to SACOG to incentivize infill development, in order to enable our region to meet the State’s mandate for 19% per-capita greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction by 2035. Kacey Lizon, SACOG’s Deputy Executive Director, will present the latest information on how this funding will be used. (SACOG: Sacramento Area Council of Governments)

Senate Bill (SB) 743

This law prioritizes development and transportation projects that get us out of cars and into sustainable modes of transportation, to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), air pollution, and GHG emissions. Adding to roadways “induces demand” that can re-congest roads. Caltrans’ Eric Sundquist will inform us about their recently adopted guidance to this law. Caltrans Deputies Jeanie Ward-Waller and Chris Ganson (lead for review of land use projects) will contribute to the discussion.

Note: Our next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021.

Photo by JESHOOTS.com, found on pexels.com