Big news! Virginia has been selected to participate in the Fifth Cohort of the United Land Institute (ULI) Net Zero Imperative—Eight Cities Tackling Building Decarbonization
The Net Zero Imperative (NZI) "is a multiyear initiative to accelerate decarbonization in the built environment and is a significant aspect of ULI’s work to advance its net zero mission priority."
This honor and focus on sustainability and net zero comes just in time as Richmond undergoes a Code Refresh that will block existing communities' solar access with tall density, demolish decarbonization priorities by refusing to pass the Cultural Heritage Stewardship Plan, proposes by-right increases in heights without shadow modeling, and has crushed terms like "carbon," "soil/yards," and "solar access" from zoning.
The specific grant, "ULI Virginia + City of Richmond," will "Advance Richmond’s Sustainable Design Standards to meet its net-zero goals by addressing the gap between policy adoption and practical implementation."
RVA Design Coalition has thoughts on Net Zero and Sustainability!
To achieve net-zero and sustainability goals by 2050, Richmond zoning must enact:To achieve our 2050 net-zero goals, I recommend Richmond zoning require whole-life carbon assessments, mandate deconstruction, and implement a 20% carbon tax on demolitions to minimally address its negative impacts on the community.
- Mandatory shadow modeling and air quality assessments for any new buildings higher than 3 stories
- Mandatory whole-life carbon assessments
- Protect solar access for all to ensure existing communities can access net zero benefits
- Protect and expand soil-based percentages on every lot
- ‘Retrofit-first’ presumptions in planning
- Carbon pricing in development decisions including a mandatory 20% carbon tax for demolition
- Enhanced requirements for demolition justification and mandatory deconstruction
- Incentives for refurbishment like a Retrofit Energy Incentive because allowing demolitions to build new energy-efficient apartments is NOT better than the anti-displacement opportunity, huge cost savings, and comparable energy-efficiency than RETROFITTING existing housing.
- Push remote work and prohibit rezoning of agriculture to mitigate clogged transit and air pollution.
To achieve our 2050 net-zero goals, I recommend Richmond zoning require whole-life carbon assessments, mandate deconstruction, and implement a 20% carbon tax on demolitions to minimally address its negative impacts on the community.
- Retrofitting costs often 60% less than demolition and new build projects.
- Richmond should implement a Retrofit Energy Incentive that would give landlords a tax credit towards energy-efficiency upgrades. Renters could stay in place like any homeowner undergoing renovation, instead of being displaced! Even better, affordable housing advocates should not only ask for a Retrofit Energy Incentive, but if the landlord uses the credit, they could agree to reduce rent while renovations are underway, then maintain those rents for current tenants for the time they apply the credit. When utilities are included, landlords should lower rents according to the new lower utility costs they saved from their increased energy efficiency!
- Retrofitting reduces embodied carbon and lowers a building’s carbon footprint through reuse.
- Retrofitting significantly reduces construction waste, and speeds up project timelines!
- Retrofitting can achieve the same efficiency goals as new builds. We know that it’s not just about Passive House or LEED certifications but the WHOLE embodied carbon cycle that matters.
- Retrofits SELL. Old character and craftsmanship command higher prices than new builds, and have greater property value appreciation.
Richmond's solar access, water, air quality, and soil must be protected for the finite sustainability and resiliency resources they are.
- Retrofitting costs often 60% less than demolition and new build projects.
- Richmond should implement a Retrofit Energy Incentive that would give landlords a tax credit towards energy-efficiency upgrades. Renters could stay in place like any homeowner undergoing renovation, instead of being displaced! Even better, affordable housing advocates should not only ask for a Retrofit Energy Incentive, but if the landlord uses the credit, they could agree to reduce rent while renovations are underway, then maintain those rents for current tenants for the time they apply the credit. When utilities are included, landlords should lower rents according to the new lower utility costs they saved from their increased energy efficiency!
- Retrofitting reduces embodied carbon and lowers a building’s carbon footprint through reuse.
- Retrofitting significantly reduces construction waste, and speeds up project timelines!
- Retrofitting can achieve the same efficiency goals as new builds. We know that it’s not just about Passive House or LEED certifications but the WHOLE embodied carbon cycle that matters.
- Retrofits SELL. Old character and craftsmanship command higher prices than new builds, and have greater property value appreciation.
Author: Copeland Casati is a sustainability professional with the passive solar net zero prefab house kit companies Green Modern Kits, Green Cabin Kits, and Green Cottage Kits.
