The number of people living in cities could increase to 80% of the total population by 2100. That could require more new construction between now and 2050 than all the construction done since the start of the industrial revolution.
The influx of urban dwellers could be accommodated in mid-rise buildings from 4 to 12 stories tall made out of wood, according to lead author of a study by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Wood is a renewable resource that usually carries the lowest carbon footprint of any comparable, first-time use building material, the study asserted.
Moreover, carbon stored in wood, absorbed from atmospheric CO2 via photosynthesis, makes the material a long-term carbon sink. To accommodate demand for urban housing, though, a lot of wood would be needed. Wooden cities of the future would require a 149-million hectare increase in tree plantations by 2100 and more harvesting from unprotected natural forests.
One problem, some environmentalists say, is that tree plantations have less biodiversity than natural forests. Some green advocates are also critical of harvesting more wood from diverse natural forests.
Natural, biodiverse forests are more resilient to drought, fires and disease, one environmental advocate noted, and pointed out that numerous tree plantations have burned this year as record temperatures and drought impacted many areas across the globe.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Nation's first multi-story green industrial facility opens in Brooklyn
The $25 million Perry Avenue Building at Brooklyn Navy Yard is the nation's first multi-level green industrial facility and the first building in New York City to incorporate building-mounted wind turbines. The wind turbines, along with rooftop solar panels, will provide electricity for the building's lobby and common areas.
| Aug 11, 2010
AAMA leads development of BIM standard for fenestration products
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s newly formed BIM Task Group met during the AAMA National Fall Conference to discuss the need for an BIM standard for nonresidential fenestration products.
| Aug 11, 2010
HGA creates greener outlook with print systems from Océ
Since its founding in 1953, HGA Architects and Engineers (HGA), a full service integrated architectural and engineering firm, has operated with an unwavering belief that good design is sustainable. HGA takes its environmental responsibility seriously, both in the buildings the firm designs, its internal operations and its vendor partnerships. Therefore, when HGA decided to investigate new options for its printing and scanning needs, the firm wanted a vendor who shared its values.
| Aug 11, 2010
Report: Building codes and regulations impede progress toward uber-green buildings
The enthusiasm for super green Living Buildings continues unabated, but a key stumbling block to the growth of this highest level of green building performance is an existing set of codes and regulations. A new report by the Cascadia Region Green Building Council entitled "Code, Regulatory and Systemic Barriers Affecting Living Building Projects" presents a case for fundamental reassessment of building codes.
| Aug 11, 2010
PSA-Dewberry designing new Baltimore youth detention center
A consulting team led by PSA-Dewberry has been selected by the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services to design the new Baltimore Youth Detention Center in downtown Baltimore, Md. The $80-million facility will accommodate youths who have been criminally charged as adults, and will enable the state to increase its educational, counseling, and healthcare services for youth offenders.
| Aug 11, 2010
Lincoln High School
Tacoma, Wash.
Lincoln High School in Tacoma, Wash., was built in 1913 and spent nearly a century morphing into a patchwork of outdated and confusing additions. A few years ago, the Tacoma School District picked Lincoln High School, dubbed “Old Main,” to be the first high school in the district to be part of its newly launched Small Learning Communities program.
| Aug 11, 2010
CampusBrands Inc., NYLO Hotels team to launch student housing franchise brand
Which would you choose: the cramped quarters, thin mattresses, and crowded communal bathrooms of dormitory life or a new type of student housing with comfortable couches, a game room, fitness center, Wi-Fi in every room, flat-screen televisions and maybe even a theater?
| Aug 11, 2010
Perkins Eastman awarded Indian School of Business campus
The New York office of international design and architecture firm Perkins Eastman has been commissioned by the Indian School of Business for a 70-acre, 1.5 million-sf new business school campus as part of a 300-acre “Knowledge City” in Chandigarh, Mohali, India. The sustainable campus will accommodate four centers of excellence: healthcare management, public policy, manufacturing/ operations, and physical infrastructure management.
