flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Astrophysicist turns his skills toward identifying and predicting location of vacant buildings

Codes and Standards

Astrophysicist turns his skills toward identifying and predicting location of vacant buildings

Project could help Baltimore and other cities redevelop blighted properties.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | February 5, 2018

The City of Baltimore has hired a Johns Hopkins astrophysicist to develop a computer program to help identify abandoned buildings and predict which properties are likely to be left vacant in the near future.

Tamás Budavári will apply skills he has used to model the universe to the terrestrial task. The project is intended to aid a $700 million joint state-city plan to demolish and redevelop blighted buildings in Baltimore.

The city has about 60 building inspectors who have identified roughly 17,000 boarded up buildings and vacant land parcels. But city officials suspect that there are about 30,000 unoccupied buildings altogether—many of those currently unidentified.

Budavári will incorporate new sources of data beyond what inspectors report including water, gas, and electric billing records along with where mail is deemed undeliverable. His work may be distributed to other cities via the GovEx network.

Related Stories

Codes and Standards | Jun 3, 2020

Virginia makes GCs liable for subs employee wages

New law allows workers to sue GCs for wages in class action.

Codes and Standards | Jun 2, 2020

Designers, owners reinventing restaurants to cope with COVID-19

Options include rearranged seating, mobile ordering, designated flow spaces.

Codes and Standards | Jun 1, 2020

How owners should comply with OSHA roofing safety guidelines

Buildings should have fall protection and restraint provisions for those who go on roofs.

Codes and Standards | May 29, 2020

AIA releases new, updated sustainable project documents

Streamlined sustainable design and construction process included.

Codes and Standards | May 28, 2020

USGBC outlines how it will support pandemic recovery efforts

Includes emergency guidance and upgrades to the LEED green building program.

Codes and Standards | May 27, 2020

Office market could be COVID-19 casualty

As companies get used to work at home, post-pandemic office market could collapse.

Codes and Standards | May 26, 2020

Architectural Reuse Council will step up efforts to reuse construction waste

Cabinets, appliances, lighting, and lumber diverted from landfills to be repurposed.

Codes and Standards | May 26, 2020

Is CLT really a green solution?

Sustainability depends upon forest stewardship, product manufacturing process.

Codes and Standards | May 20, 2020

St. Louis is first Midwest city to pass building energy performance standard

Allows owners broad flexibility on how to achieve goals.

Codes and Standards | May 20, 2020

Supreme Court says Georgia cannot copyright its entire official code

Ruling may have implications for other states claiming copyright for building codes.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Reconstruction & Renovation

Movement to protect historic buildings raises sharp criticism

While the movement to preserve historic buildings has widespread support, it also has some sharp critics with well-funded opposition groups springing up in recent years. Some opponents are linked to the Stand Together Foundation, founded and bankrolled by the Koch family’s conservative philanthropic organization, according to a column in Governing magazine.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021