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Developer Incentives

Mona Lemoine

Associate | Senior Sustainability Consultant

DIALOG

LEEDuser Premium Member

0 thumbs up

January 8, 2018

Hello Green Gurus,

I am starting some research on municipal incentives offered to developers seeking to achieve sustainability targets and am wondering what you may have come across in your work, including but not limited to achieving Passive House. In my limited research, here are few I have come across to get us started:

increased density (Vancouver)
reduced parking
green permitting - expedited and facilitated permits for projects meeting advanced green building standards (Seattle)
deconstruction permit - allows developers using deconstruction (careful disassembly of a building with the aim of maximizing reusable elements) in lieu of a typical demolition process to begin work before receiving their full building permit (Seattle)
land use departures for projects aiming to meet deep green criteria (Seattle)
...

Thanks!

Mona Lemoine, Architect AIBC, MAA, MRAIC, LFA, LEED AP BD + C
Senior Sustainable Design Specialist

Perkins+Will
1220 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Y5
t 604.484.1052
mona.lemoine@perkinswill.com

Post a reply

Zach Craun

Senior Associate

COOKFOX Architects

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Mon, 01/08/2018 - 22:19

NYC has 'green codes' which came as recommendations from Urban Green, the local USGBC affiliate http://www.nyc.gov/html/gbee/html/codes/zone.shtml http://www.nyc.gov/html/gbee/html/codes/proposals.shtml (I recommend downloading both the GCTF Exec Summary and Full Report) They also pushed for the recent requirement of a new city law mandates building energy efficiency grades, starting in 2020. https://urbangreencouncil.org/content/news/coming-nyc-building-energy-grades?utm_source=Active+Readers%3A+Members+%28ALL%29&utm_campaign=c95988c0ac-Policy+Updates+12.19.17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7295b3df7-c95988c0ac-72331317 The DEP here has been providing grants for green infrastructure and recently announced funding for on-site water reuse programs. More info http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/stormwater/using_green_infra_to_manage_stormwater.shtml I know Brisbane, Washington DC, and Singapore all track “Green Area Ratio” and have implemented some interesting zoning regulations as a result. Take a look at the Economist’s Intelligence Unit and Siemens ‘Green Cities Index’ Global index from 2012 – it measures cities on CO2 Emissions, energy, buildings, land use, etc. They also have a research report of 27 major US and Canadian Cities - this may be a good place to start looking for comparable programs.

Jacob Werner

Associate Principal

Ellenzweig

LEEDuser Basic Member

0 thumbs up

Tue, 01/09/2018 - 12:19

Not exactly the same thing, but interesting: Financing incentives for affordable housing: http://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/how-affordable-housing-is-driving-passive-house-design_o

Seonhee Kim

Director of Sustainability

Design Collective

LEEDuser Basic Member

19 thumbs up

Tue, 01/09/2018 - 18:43

Not specific to the topic, I found ACEEE's State and Local Policy database a good place to start the investigation. You can search state level or city level policies & incentive programs, if there is any. https://database.aceee.org/city/new-york-city-ny

Ilana Judah

LEEDuser Basic Member

23 thumbs up

Tue, 01/09/2018 - 18:48

http://www.ecobuilding.org/code-innovations/policy-profiles/2015-passive-house-tax-credit-by-pennsylvania-housing-finance-agency Ilana Judah, AIA, OAQ, LEED AP BD+C, CPHD Principal, Director of Sustainability FXFOWLE D +1.646.292.8116 | T +1.212.627.1700

David Posada

Integrated Design & LEED Specialist

SERA Architects

LEEDuser Expert

1361 thumbs up

Tue, 01/09/2018 - 22:01

Mona, I just talked with Katrin Klingenberg from Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) about this question - she was presenting here in Portland. It does sound like NY has some of the better incentives, and PA too. There's a PHIUS committee that's been collecting info on different incentive programs for Passive house projects that's still in draft form, but Katrin thought she'd be able to share a version soon. I'll share that when it comes thru - feel free to ping me if it's been awhile. David Posada
d: 503.847.2175
m: 971.322.8936
seradesign.com

Mona Lemoine

Associate | Senior Sustainability Consultant

DIALOG

LEEDuser Premium Member

0 thumbs up

Thu, 01/11/2018 - 19:59

Thanks all!

Jana Silsby

Principal

DLR Group

LEEDuser Premium Member

0 thumbs up

Fri, 01/12/2018 - 16:57

City of Cambridge has had some advantageous zoning definitions for a long time - e.g. GSF does not include exterior insulation. See their zoning ordinance definitions for other things that they don't count in GSF. They also have a robust Net Zero Action Plan that has a lot of info on current and future policies to get to Net Zero Emissions by 2030. (see link to Summary of Proposed Actions) http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Climate/~/media/D74193AF8DAC4A57AC96E2A53946B96B.ashx It also includes a Policy Best Practices Report (see link below). I'm not sure if it has been updated since it was authored in 2014, but it is a good place to start. http://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Projects/Climate/~/media/42CDD166572A436293403DD8357034D0.ashx