City-owned land in Boston’s booming Seaport district is vulnerable to flooding, a condition that will only worsen with climate-induced sea-level rise.
To address this threat, city officials have instituted developer fees as a condition to build in the area to help finance a seawall and other protective infrastructure. Cost estimates to protect the 191-acre area are as high as $124 million.
Without any resiliency measures, the area would otherwise be prone to regular flooding as soon as the 2030s, and could be largely under water at high tide by the end of the century. Developers are designing properties to be flood resilient, but a seawall would protect properties from utility outages and flooded roads.
The program, the Climate Resiliency Fund, is modelled on programs that collect developer fees for affordable housing funds or for park space or infrastructure upgrades.
Related Stories
| Jun 21, 2012
Brazilian engineering/construction firm Odebrecht sues Florida over ban on companies doing business in Cuba
Odebrecht Construction Inc., a Brazilian engineering and construction company, is suing the State of Florida over a new law that bans governments from hiring companies with business ties to Cuba.
| Jun 21, 2012
String of shattered glass balcony panels prompts call for code reform in Ontario
Since last summer, glass balconies have shattered at 13 different buildings in Toronto.
| Jun 21, 2012
California adds window film to building code
California is the first state to add window film into its building code. Window film, a polymer material, offers cost-effective energy savings.
| Jun 21, 2012
New ISO standard to improve environmental management of concrete
A new ISO standard will help the construction industry better manage the environmental impacts of concrete.
| Jun 21, 2012
On net-zero projects, Building Teams will be held accountable for energy-efficiency performance
The building team will be held accountable for how net-zero energy buildings perform two, five, and maybe ten years after completion.
| Jun 14, 2012
USGBC co-founder launches rating system for building product manufacturers
U.S. Green Building Council co-founder David Gottfried’s new venture, Regenerative Ventures, has established a rating system for building product manufacturers.
| Jun 14, 2012
Green standard set for single-ply roofing membrane
A sustainability standard has been established for single-ply roofing membranes used on commercial buildings.
| Jun 14, 2012
Minnesota Vikings stadium plan gets legislative go-ahead
Legislation that approved the construction of a new billion dollar stadium for the Minnesota Vikings passed the Minnesota legislature.
| Jun 14, 2012
Report alleges New York’s prevailing construction wages are miscalculated, costing billions
A miscalculation in how prevailing wages are calculated in New York reportedly costs the state $3 billion a year in public-infrastructure projects.
