In Boston, two recent reports, one on the impact of climate change, and the other on planning for future development, provoked a hard look at the wisdom of building in increasingly flood-prone areas.
The planning report, “Imagine Boston 2030,” identifies five priority growth areas in the metro area. Four of the five growth areas, including the booming Seaport District in South Boston, are extremely vulnerable to flooding according to the other report, “Climate Ready Boston.”
Stephen Gray, assistant professor of urban design at Harvard Graduate School of Design, and a cochairman for Boston’s 100 Resilient Cities Resilience Collaborative, points out the contradiction in an opinion column in the Boston Globe. He asks: “How and where we decide to grow will have immeasurable economic and social consequences, so why would we intentionally grow in parts of the city that we know to be extremely vulnerable to flooding?”
He points out that in the Seaport construction permits “continue to be approved so long as buildings have floodable first floors and utilities on the roof. By this measure, the city maintains that floodable buildings are a viable solution, even if the streets around them could eventually be ankle deep in mud and water depending on the tide.” Coastal cities around the world are faced with similar dilemmas concerning where best to encourage new development in the face of rising sea levels induced by climate change, and where best to invest in flood mitigation infrastructure.
Related Stories
| Oct 13, 2011
AGC Urges Repeal of 3% Withholding On Government Contracts
The U.S. House of Representatives is planning a vote in October on a bill to repeal the 3% withholding requirement on all federal and state contracts for goods and services.
| Oct 13, 2011
House Bill Would Block New OSHA Regulations
Proposed riders in a U.S. House of Representatives spending bill would block the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from issuing controversial workplace safety and health regulations.
| Oct 11, 2011
AIA introduces five new documents for use on sustainable projects
These new documents will be available in the first quarter of 2012 as part of the new AIA Contract Documents service and AIA Documents on Demand.
| Oct 7, 2011
GREENBUILD 2011: UL Environment releases industry-wide sustainability requirements for doors
ASSA ABLOY Trio-E door is the first to be certified to these sustainability requirements.
| Oct 6, 2011
Taking tenant behavior into account on building energy codes
Over the past few years, Seattle, San Francisco, Austin, and Washington, D.C., have passed laws requiring property owners to measure and disclose their energy use, which would help place a market value on a building’s efficiency and provide a benchmark for improvements.
| Oct 6, 2011
Constructed properly, green roofs hold up well in a hurricane
The heavy rains and high winds of Hurricane Irene didn’t cause any problems for a Con Edison green roof in New York City. The roof contains sedum, a plant that adapts well to drought and handles periods of heavy rain well.
| Oct 6, 2011
RoofPoint: A new green standard for roofs
Structured much like other rating systems, RoofPoint, establishes green standards specifically for roofs.
| Oct 6, 2011
Roofers critical of new OSHA harness rules
Roofers say a new OSHA rule requiring all residential roofers to wear a safety harness makes workers less safe, and is causing lost business for those who comply with the rule.
| Oct 6, 2011
Florida county proposes saving on construction costs by trumping city regulations
This summer, Pinellas County, FL wanted to save money on an $81 million public safety complex in Largo by using the county’s own building regulations and permit fees, not the city’s more expensive fees.
| Sep 30, 2011
OSHA Releases New Nail Gun Safety Document
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have developed a new guidance document, Nail Gun Safety—A Guide for Construction Contractors.