Explore

Memphis Mayor Paul Young Initiates 90-Day Review for Data Center Regulations

Memphis Mayor Paul Young Initiates 90-Day Review for Data Center Regulations

Memphis Mayor Paul Young has issued an executive order to establish a 90-day study aimed at developing clear and actionable recommendations for regulating large and hyperscale data centers within the city. This initiative seeks to identify policy guardrails and recommend protections for neighborhoods, infrastructure, air quality, water resources, and utility customers. The study will involve a group of subject-matter experts appointed by the mayor and chaired by the City’s chief operating officer. These experts will possess professional, technical, governmental, academic, legal, financial, environmental, and economic development expertise. The executive order emphasizes the mayor's responsibility to protect Memphians and ensure the city benefits from new investments, while addressing the impact of data centers on energy, water, and infrastructure. Community engagement is a key component, with at least three community education sessions planned, including a public comment period and an open presentation of ...

City of Lubbock Promotes Composting as Household Waste Alternative

City of Lubbock Promotes Composting as Household Waste Alternative

The City of Lubbock is actively recommending composting as a viable alternative to traditional household trash disposal. This initiative encourages residents to divert food scraps and other organic waste from landfills, transforming them into nutrient-rich fertilizer for lawns and gardens. The city highlights various composting methods, including simple bins, piles, tumblers for aeration, and vermicomposting, which utilizes worms to break down organic matter. According to the City of Lubbock website, composting is presented as an easy and beneficial practice for residents. The city also references insights from Take Care of Texas for a comprehensive guide on composting basics. Acceptable items for composting include fruits, vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds, nuts, and grass clippings, while items like meat, oil, dairy products, bones, pet feces, weeds, metals, plastics, and glass are advised against due to potential odors, disease spread, or slow decomposition.

Guadalupe Maravilla to Stage Major Installation at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine This December

Guadalupe Maravilla to Stage Major Installation at New York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine This December

Creative Time, in collaboration with the Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural and Educational Center, has commissioned the artist to make Consejos de las Estrellas.

Nancy Kohout Advocates for Chicago's Leadership in Building Decarbonization

Nancy Kohout Advocates for Chicago's Leadership in Building Decarbonization

Nancy Kohout, a veteran mechanical engineer and former Illinois ASHRAE President, has joined Buro Happold's Chicago team, bringing over 30 years of experience in mechanical engineering, building performance, and sustainability. Kohout emphasizes Chicago's significant opportunity to lead in building decarbonization, particularly through the adoption of building performance standards, similar to those implemented in coastal cities like Boston and New York. She highlights that successful electrification requires careful planning, starting with understanding building operations, improving envelopes, evaluating heating requirements, and considering embodied carbon. Kohout also points to innovative opportunities in Chicago, such as utilizing the Chicago River, wastewater systems, and geothermal heat transfer for efficient heating and cooling. She stresses the importance of education, knowledge sharing, and collaboration within the industry to accelerate progress towards a low-carbon future, especially given that...

Tokyo Blends Modernity and Tradition, Offering Diverse Urban Experiences

Tokyo Blends Modernity and Tradition, Offering Diverse Urban Experiences

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a city where futuristic skyscrapers and advanced technology coexist with ancient temples and traditional gardens. The city is renowned for its impressive skyline, vibrant neon lights, and iconic districts such as Shibuya Crossing and Tokyo Skytree, which offers panoramic views. Despite its modern facade, Tokyo actively preserves its cultural heritage, evident in historical sites like Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa and the serene Meiji Shrine. The city is also a global hub for fashion, shopping, and pop culture, with areas like Ginza known for luxury boutiques, Harajuku for street fashion, and Akihabara for anime, manga, and electronics. Tokyo's natural beauty is showcased through parks like Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gyoen, especially during cherry blossom season, providing green spaces amidst the urban environment. The city boasts efficient public transportation, including extensive train and subway networks, and high-speed Shinkansen trains connecting it to other parts of Japan.

Allen Morris Co., City of Coral Gables, and Agave Holdings Announce $10 Million Ponce Circle Park Redesign

Allen Morris Co., City of Coral Gables, and Agave Holdings Announce $10 Million Ponce Circle Park Redesign

Allen Morris Co., in partnership with the City of Coral Gables and Agave Holdings, has announced a public-private initiative to redesign Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park in Coral Gables, Florida. The project, valued at over $10 million, aims to introduce new public art, landscaped gathering spaces, an open-air performance venue, and improved pedestrian infrastructure. Maria de la Guardia of de la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists and Andres Arcila of Naturalficial are leading the redesign, with planting design coordinated with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Funding for the improvements will come from a three-party arrangement involving Allen Morris Co., the City of Coral Gables, and Agave Holdings. Allen Morris Co. will also manage the development, overseeing design, permitting, and construction. The Coral Gables City Commission has unanimously approved the project, and a development management agreement has been executed. The park, originally designed by landscape architect William Lyman Phill...

Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester Eliminates Admission Fees Starting May 1

Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester Eliminates Admission Fees Starting May 1

Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester Eliminates Admission Fees Starting May 1

Denver Establishes Data Center Working Group Amid Moratorium on New Developments

Denver Establishes Data Center Working Group Amid Moratorium on New Developments

Denver's Mayor Mike Johnston and the City Council have announced the formation of a 26-member working group composed of citizens and experts to provide policy recommendations regarding data center growth. This initiative comes amidst a city-wide building moratorium on new data centers, which was approved in May and could be extended beyond its initial May expiration. The moratorium was enacted following significant controversy and opposition from residents, particularly in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood, who protested the construction of a 600,000-square-foot data center by CoreSite. These residents have historically faced environmental burdens from various industrial sources. The working group's establishment signals a commitment from Denver officials to prioritize community voices and resources in shaping future data center regulations. Other communities along the Front Range, including Brighton and Weld County, are also grappling with similar debates and moratoriums concerning large-scale data center p...

City of Columbia Seeks Community Input for Future of Former Shops at Sharp End Space

City of Columbia Seeks Community Input for Future of Former Shops at Sharp End Space

The City of Columbia is actively engaging its community to determine the future use of the former Shops at Sharp End space, located at 500 E. Walnut St., Suite 109. City officials recently met with residents to gather feedback before issuing a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) to potential tenants. The Shops at Sharp End, which operated for three years as a retail incubator for minority entrepreneurs, recently closed. The city aims to use community input to shape the rules and criteria for evaluating new proposals for the city-owned space. Shawna Johnson, the city of Columbia's Engagement Coordinator, emphasized that the entire process, from information gathering to evaluation, is being guided by community voices.

Lexington Urban County Council Extends Data Center Development Pause, Initiates New Zoning Process

Lexington Urban County Council Extends Data Center Development Pause, Initiates New Zoning Process

Lexington's Urban County Council has voted to extend the moratorium on data center development in Fayette County until October 31, 2027. This decision follows a public hearing where nearly 60 residents voiced concerns regarding the environmental impact, electricity and water consumption, and potential health effects of these facilities. The Council is also moving forward with a resolution to establish a new zoning ordinance text amendment process, aiming to create a distinct zoning category for data centers. This new process will allow for more public engagement and a less constrained timeline compared to the previous Planning Commission recommendations. Councilmembers Tyler Morton and Emma Curtis spearheaded these resolutions, with Morton specifically moving to remove most of the Planning Commission's earlier recommendations, which had proposed allowing smaller data centers in industrial and commercial zones concentrated in District 1 and the city's northside.

UW-Parkside Forum Addresses Community Concerns Over Kenosha AI Data Center

UW-Parkside Forum Addresses Community Concerns Over Kenosha AI Data Center

UW-Parkside recently hosted a two-hour public forum to discuss the local impacts of a proposed Artificial Intelligence (AI) data center development in Kenosha. The event brought together panelists and attendees, including state officials, tech workers, environmental groups, and local residents, to examine various concerns. Key issues raised during the discussion included the potential for increased water usage, the strain on electricity infrastructure, the number and type of jobs the center would create, and its overall environmental impact. While the forum experienced some tense moments due to differing opinions, participants generally felt it was well-balanced and provided valuable information. The discussion highlighted the community's anxieties regarding the environmental and economic consequences of such a large-scale technological development.

UN Environment Programme Facilitates Negotiations for International Plastics Treaty

UN Environment Programme Facilitates Negotiations for International Plastics Treaty

Negotiations are currently underway for an internationally binding Plastics Treaty, a process being facilitated by the UN Environment Programme. This treaty aims to address the global issue of plastic pollution. While the negotiation process is active, the treaty has not yet been formally agreed upon by member states. The broader context of international efforts to protect oceans also includes the recently ratified BBNJ High Seas Treaty, which contains provisions for avoiding, reducing, and controlling plastic pollution in international waters. However, the High Seas Treaty's scope does not extend to seas within national territorial and economic zones, highlighting the need for a comprehensive, globally binding agreement like the one currently under negotiation.