CDM News - December 2007 - (Page 14)

Modeling New Orleans’ Urban Metabolism city officials have expanded their focus from short-term reconstruction to include a long-term goal of creating a more sustainable city. As they rebuild, officials want to improve upon, not just replace, damaged buildings. As New Orleans recovers from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Modeling “urban metabolism” could help guide the “green” rebuilding of New Orleans. To assist these efforts, CDM has teamed with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to create an “urban metabolism” model for the New Orleans Office of Recovery Management. The term describes the flow of energy and materials through urban areas and the costs of constructing, occupying, and demolishing buildings. It’s a hot topic in classrooms, though John E. Fernandez, associate professor of building technology at MIT, believes this project could be the concept’s first real-world application. “City officials told us they were making policy decisions using their best guesses on how to build a more efficient city,” Fernandez said. “This model will give them a much better sense of what will result in the best situation. It will let them know what levers they need to pull to make New Orleans a better city, a greener city.” It could guide officials’ decisions about offering tax incentives or expedited permitting for developers who build certain types of housing or use certain materials. For example, city officials may offer tax breaks to developers who use a more expensive type of insulation that is water-resistant and reduces a home’s energy demands. Other potential decisions could include whether to encourage the construction of brick buildings, solar panels, or elevated homes. “The overall purpose is to help the city make decisions on how they can support more sustainable redevelopment of homes in New Orleans,” said Amelia L. Ravin, AICP, LEED AP, an environmental planner for CDM. Project members also hope the New Orleans model can be used as a template to be individually tailored for other cities worldwide in various stages of growth The model is designed to take a complex set of —from established cities in the United States and information and provide a simplified cost-benefit Europe to booming metropolises in China and India. analysis, which can be used to guide policy decisions. | Charles G. Russo The model is specifically designed to help city officials determine the types of housing they may want to encourage during the city’s reconstruction.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CDM News - December 2007

CDM News - December 2007 Contents Sustainable Utility Design for Harvard University’s Expansion Plan Sustainability Takes Flight at Los Angeles World Airports Sustainable Water Management in Jordan Operating in the 4th Dimension Interview: Brendan Harley on Integrated Urban Water Resources Management Modeling New Orleans’ Urban Metabolism Sustainability at CDM Highlights

CDM News - December 2007

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