New York, NY –
A city task force has come up with 111 recommendations on making the city's building code greener. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.
REPORTER: The task force says this is the most comprehensive review of green building codes for any city and would apply to all new construction. Some of the proposals would be elaborate, like requiring big buildings to re-tune their energy systems every 7 years and providing a zoning bonus for buildings that are well insulated. Others are common-sense approaches, like having stores switch off their lights after hours or ensuring apartments have their own temperature controls so windows aren't kept open in the winter.
The task force says that if their recommendations are adopted as code, the cost of green materials will come down because more builders will have to use them. The Real Estate Board of New York is already signaling that it wants to revise the proposals as they make their way through the legislative process.
-
Arun Venugopal is a reporter and the creator of Micropolis, WNYC’s multi-platform series examining race, sexuality, religion, street life and other issues that define New York City. He has been with the station since 2005, and has covered a wide range of stories, including the death of Sean Bell, the controversy over the Park 51 mosque and community center and Occupy Wall Street .
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.