Impact fees on development proposed to fund Miami’s rising sea level resiliency plans

Miami-Dade County officials want to raise the money needed for flood mitigation through new impact fees on developers.

The county plans to spend $400 million to build a system of valves, pumps, and raised roadways to reduce the impact of flooding in the low-lying region. Four county commissioners, according to reports, have proposed placing fees on developers who build in environmentally sensitive areas.

Commissioners plan to get input from the public and local businesses. It would be at least a year before any impact fees would be assessed. The commissioners have also asked Mayor Carlos Gimenez to prepare a report on the feasibility of such fees. According to reports, Gimenez may be cool to the idea.

Increased flooding in Miami, even in calm weather, has been attributed to climate-change-induced rising sea levels. South Florida is considered high risk to flooding from storms.

nZero, developer of a real-time carbon accounting and management platform, is offering free carbon emissions assessments for buildings in New York City. The offer is intended to help building owners prepare for the city’s upcoming Local Law 97 reporting requirements and compliance. This law will soon assess monetary fines for buildings with emissions that are in non-compliance.

Resiliency | Aug 7, 2023

Creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain

As temperatures in many areas hit record highs this summer, cities around the world are turning to creative solutions to cope with the heat. Here are several creative ways cities are seeking to beat urban heat gain.

Products and Materials | Jul 31, 2023

Top building products for July 2023

BD+C Editors break down 15 of the top building products this month, from cleanroom doors to window storm protection systems.

Sustainability | Jul 27, 2023

USGBC warns against building energy code preemptions, rollbacks

In a recent editorial, the USGBC cited a growing number of U.S. state legislators who are “aiming to roll back building energy code standards and/or preempt local governments from advancing energy-efficient building codes.”

Resiliency | Jul 27, 2023

'Underground climate change' can damage building foundations, civil infrastructure

A phenomenon known as “underground climate change” can lead to damage of building foundations and civil infrastructure, according to a researcher at Northwestern University. When the ground gets hotter, it can expand and contract, causing foundations to move and sometimes crack.