#federal-building-code-study

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LA real estate
fromPadailypost
2 hours ago

Council OKs seven-story building over traffic concerns

Palo Alto City Council approved a seven-story, 321-unit apartment building despite community concerns about traffic and safety.
#fire
California
fromPadailypost
11 hours ago

11 people lose their home in an apartment fire

A kitchen renovation project caused a fire in a Mountain View apartment, displacing 11 residents but resulting in no injuries.
California
fromPadailypost
11 hours ago

11 people lose their home in an apartment fire

A kitchen renovation project caused a fire in a Mountain View apartment, displacing 11 residents but resulting in no injuries.
UK politics
fromComputerWeekly.com
2 hours ago

Flood warning: How citizens' AI agents will swamp public services | Computer Weekly

AI has the potential to transform public services by reducing user friction and improving access for citizens.
New York City
fromMoneywise
15 hours ago

Zohran Mamdani plans to add 20,000 tiny homes to backyards and basements across NYC - What are ADUs, and how can they help ease the housing crunch?

New York City is simplifying the addition of ancillary dwelling units to alleviate the housing crisis.
#crystalline-silica
SF politics
fromKqed
6 days ago

Countertop Fabricator Spends Big to Better Protect Workers | KQED

Crystalline silica poses serious health risks, prompting calls for stricter regulations and potential bans on its use in the industry.
SF politics
fromKqed
6 days ago

Countertop Fabricator Spends Big to Better Protect Workers | KQED

Crystalline silica from quartz is highly toxic, necessitating strict safety measures, while a proposed data center faces community opposition over environmental concerns.
SF politics
fromKqed
6 days ago

Countertop Fabricator Spends Big to Better Protect Workers | KQED

Crystalline silica poses serious health risks, prompting calls for stricter regulations and potential bans on its use in the industry.
SF politics
fromKqed
6 days ago

Countertop Fabricator Spends Big to Better Protect Workers | KQED

Crystalline silica from quartz is highly toxic, necessitating strict safety measures, while a proposed data center faces community opposition over environmental concerns.
San Francisco
fromStreetsblog San Francisco
19 hours ago

This Week: Seismic Tour, Regional Measure, Car-Free Happy Hour - Streetsblog San Francisco

A variety of community events focused on safety, transportation, and family activities are scheduled this week in San Francisco and surrounding areas.
fromFortune
2 days ago

Appeals court says national security implications of halting White House ballroom construction must be weighed | Fortune

The appeals court ruled that the trial judge must clarify whether his injunction interferes with the administration's plans for safety and security, emphasizing the need for a thorough assessment of national security implications.
Washington DC
NYC politics
fromDocumented
5 days ago

Here Are Several Lesser-Known NYC Laws - Documented

President Trump is reshaping immigration policy, causing concern among migrant communities about safety and legal repercussions in the U.S.
Environment
fromFast Company
4 days ago

The solution to America's energy crisis starts with homes

Home solar and storage systems provide energy independence during severe storms, highlighting the need for a shift in America's energy infrastructure approach.
fromwww.cbc.ca
4 days ago

Police investigating suspected arson at Toronto waste facility | CBC News

Firefighters responded around 1 a.m. near Unwin Avenue and Cherry Street. Toronto Fire said crews found some rail cars and materials that are sorted at the site on fire.
Canada news
Remote teams
fromThe Conversation
6 days ago

Should the government encourage people to work from home to save fuel?

Countries are responding to the fuel crisis with measures like remote work to reduce dependency on cars.
New York City
fromGothamist
1 day ago

Empty building in Chelsea caught fire, FDNY says

Firefighters extinguished a fire in an empty Manhattan apartment building, with two firefighters hospitalized for minor injuries.
SF politics
fromsfist.com
5 days ago

SF Supervisor Mahmood Introduces Ban on Uncertified Batteries Following Increase In Fires

San Francisco bans uncertified lithium-ion batteries to reduce fire risks and allows penalties for violations.
California
fromABC7 New York
4 days ago

Philadelphia parking garage collapse leaves 1 dead, 2 missing

A parking garage under construction partially collapsed in Philadelphia, resulting in one death and two individuals unaccounted for.
Silicon Valley
fromLos Angeles Times
1 week ago

'You're a liar.' Why the world's biggest building boom has run into a wall in California

Public opposition to data centers in California is rising, impacting investment and job creation in the state.
fromtherealdeal.com
5 days ago

The Daily Dirt: Meet the new head of City Planning

I understood at a very early age how much place matters and how impactful government services can be on one's life. The Mayor's Office of Equity and Racial Justice was really focused on working with agencies to think about how they're addressing inequity, whether it's through budget as a lever or personnel as a lever, procurement, policymaking. But land use is a lever as well.
NYC politics
LA real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
6 days ago

California steps up reform to join the single-stair bandwagon

California proposes legislation to allow mid-rise apartment buildings with a single staircase to increase housing supply and affordability.
fromSFGATE
6 days ago

One injured after elevator plummets 3 floors in century-old SF building

"The adult patient sustained moderate to severe injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment," the department said in a news release.
San Francisco
Washington DC
fromStreetsblog USA
1 week ago

How To Push A Livable Streets Project Forward - Even in the Era of Federal Clawbacks - Streetsblog USA

Christopher Coes is leading AmericaFWD to advance sustainable transportation projects in U.S. communities, especially those affected by funding cuts.
SF real estate
fromFortune
2 weeks ago

The ROAD Act passed by the Senate aims to expand America's housing supply. It's likely to shrink it instead | Fortune

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act aims to limit single-family home rentals to address the housing shortage.
Privacy professionals
fromFEDweek
2 weeks ago

Agencies Need More Complete Guidance on Privacy Considerations of AI Use, Says GAO

GAO identifies gaps in AI guidance, highlighting risks and the need for comprehensive privacy protections in agency implementations.
#affordable-housing
fromFortune
2 weeks ago
East Bay real estate

Affordable housing is stuck in limbo thanks to a 'Made in USA' law that nobody can figure out how to follow | Fortune

fromFortune
2 weeks ago
East Bay real estate

Biden's Build America, Buy America law spurs affordable housing bottleneck as Trump's federal staffing cuts slow waiver approvals | Fortune

fromFortune
2 weeks ago
East Bay real estate

Affordable housing is stuck in limbo thanks to a 'Made in USA' law that nobody can figure out how to follow | Fortune

fromFortune
2 weeks ago
East Bay real estate

Biden's Build America, Buy America law spurs affordable housing bottleneck as Trump's federal staffing cuts slow waiver approvals | Fortune

New York City
fromCurbed
5 days ago

Meet the Office of Curb Management

The newly created Office of Curb Management aims to improve safety and manage competing demands on New York's curbs.
fromsfist.com
6 days ago

Person Injured After 100-Year-Old Russian Hill Elevator Falls Three Floors

The elevator fell multiple floors with someone inside and abruptly stopped when the emergency brakes were activated. While the brakes fortunately kept the elevator from crashing into the bottom of the elevator shaft, the sudden stop caused the person to sustain moderate to severe injuries.
San Francisco
fromNextgov.com
2 weeks ago

Agency data leads worry about staff capacity to tackle statutory requirements, survey finds

Among the 189 CDO and other data leader respondents to the annual survey conducted by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Data Foundation, about 40% said they had lost six or more employees last year.
EU data protection
New York City
fromwww.amny.com
5 days ago

Op-Ed | It's time to modernize SEQRA to ensure responsible development

Vacant office spaces in Midtown could be transformed into thousands of apartments, addressing housing shortages and environmental concerns.
Real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 weeks ago

A modular player scales in urban high-rise apartment projects

Modular housing is gaining traction in multifamily construction, particularly in urban areas with high costs and labor constraints.
Washington DC
fromwww.housingwire.com
1 week ago

D.C. pushes single-stair apartments higher with added safety rules

D.C. Council advances One Front Door Act to allow taller single-stair residential buildings, aiming to reduce housing costs and increase supply.
LA real estate
fromLos Angeles Times
1 week ago

California considering a first of its kind idea to boost factory-built housing

California is considering entering the construction insurance business to address the housing shortage through innovative building methods.
Agile
fromBusiness Matters
3 weeks ago

How to Avoid Construction Delays and Stay on Schedule

Construction delays can derail projects due to poor planning, resource shortages, and communication breakdowns, but can be mitigated with effective strategies and technology.
#housing-development
Boston real estate
fromwww.amny.com
3 weeks ago

Expert Analysis

Cities can unlock 100,000+ housing units by leveraging 50+ million square feet of unused development rights on municipal properties and transit facilities through strategic air-rights deployment and alternative ownership models beyond traditional ground leases.
Real estate
fromwww.housingwire.com
3 weeks ago

Arizona housing reform push would curb HOA, design mandates

Arizona lawmakers are advancing bills to limit local control over housing design standards and contractor licensing to address the housing shortage.
Online Community Development
fromNextgov.com
4 weeks ago

When disaster strikes, census data can help show who is in harm's way

The U.S. Census Bureau's OnTheMap for Emergency Management tool helps officials quickly estimate population and workforce data in disaster-affected areas to guide emergency response and recovery efforts.
East Bay (California)
fromwww.berkeleyside.org
1 month ago

With thousands of freshly painted red curbs, Berkeley implements law that bans parking next to intersections

Berkeley completed painting red curbs at 20-foot zones before intersections to improve sightlines and reduce traffic collisions, implementing a 2023 state law prohibiting parking near crosswalks.
fromBrownstoner
1 month ago

Getting NYC Event Permits Is a Mess of Red Tape

It's like, 'Ok, where? Who do we call? What do you mean?' said Batan, of the Queensboro Dance Festival, which puts on free dance performances, parties, and classes 30 to 40 times each summer. Batan compares the city's complex permitting process - which features an alphabet-soup array of agencies and offices that set guidelines for everything from block parties and street festivals to the use of stages, tents, and speakers - to 'avoiding a bunch of trap doors.'
NYC music
Environment
fromTime Out New York
4 weeks ago

A new law may force New Yorkers to turn their outdoor lights off by 11pm nightly

New York's proposed Dark Skies Protection Act would require most outdoor lights to shut off after 11pm to reduce light pollution, protect wildlife, and conserve energy.
LA real estate
fromFast Company
3 weeks ago

The building code rule that lets Seattle turn forgotten lots into housing

Matthew Flaherty advocates for affordable, transit-friendly housing while addressing tensions between fire safety and urban density in Los Angeles.
#sidewalk-sheds
fromBrooklyn, NY Patch
1 month ago
Brooklyn

Scaffolding Has Covered This Brooklyn Street For More Than A Decade

Sidewalk sheds installed at Kings County Courthouse in 2007 are finally being removed after 17 years as facade and roof repairs officially begin.
fromHoodline
1 month ago
NYC politics

Mamdani Pushes DOB Rules To Remove Sidewalk Sheds At Highbridge Gardens

Mayor Mamdani is implementing Department of Buildings rule changes to accelerate facade repairs, increase progress monitoring, and strengthen penalties for prolonged sidewalk sheds blocking city sidewalks.
Brooklyn
fromBrooklyn, NY Patch
1 month ago

Scaffolding Has Covered This Brooklyn Street For More Than A Decade

Sidewalk sheds installed at Kings County Courthouse in 2007 are finally being removed after 17 years as facade and roof repairs officially begin.
East Bay real estate
fromKqed
3 weeks ago

Congress Advanced Some Major Housing Reforms. Here's How It Could Impact California | KQED

Congress is finalizing federal housing reform bills inspired by California's crisis, proposing streamlined regulations and modular housing financing to help states build more homes efficiently.
#housing-affordability
fromwww.housingwire.com
1 month ago
Washington DC

Trump executive order targets regulatory barriers to homebuilding

The White House issued an executive order to reduce regulatory barriers to homebuilding by directing federal agencies to review and revise environmental, permitting, and programmatic restrictions affecting housing development and affordability.
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 months ago
Real estate

A blueprint for making housing more affordable

Housing affordability problems stem primarily from housing scarcity and high home costs driven by zoning, permitting, and regulatory barriers, not just high mortgage rates.
SF politics
fromwww.housingwire.com
3 weeks ago

The ROAD to Housing Act passed big, here is what it missed

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents bipartisan recognition of a housing affordability crisis impacting the American Dream and political stability.
Silicon Valley real estate
fromwww.mercurynews.com
1 month ago

Mahan: The key to lower cost housing in California is building at a lower cost

California's housing affordability crisis stems from high construction costs and limited supply, requiring reduced fees, streamlined approvals, and faster bureaucratic processes to enable affordable home construction.
Washington DC
fromwww.housingwire.com
1 month ago

Trump executive order targets regulatory barriers to homebuilding

The White House issued an executive order to reduce regulatory barriers to homebuilding by directing federal agencies to review and revise environmental, permitting, and programmatic restrictions affecting housing development and affordability.
Washington DC
fromNextgov.com
3 weeks ago

Governments' website accessibility deadline is fast approaching

Government websites with populations of 50,000+ must comply with federal disability accessibility standards by April 30, following Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
fromtherealdeal.com
3 weeks ago

The Daily Dirt: Catching up with DOB head Ahmed Tigani

I recognize that if we do the bread and butter stuff, we do the customer service, the customer delivery, then we get permission to do bigger things. This philosophy guides the commissioner's approach to balancing operational excellence with broader policy ambitions at the Department of Buildings.
New York City
SF politics
fromsfist.com
3 weeks ago

Former Fire Marshal Who Wrote SF's High-Rise Sprinkler Mandate Now Consulting With Condos It's Impacting

Former SF Fire Marshal Kenneth Cofflin, who wrote the 2022 fire code requiring sprinkler installation in older high-rises by 2027, may be profiting from the resulting chaos and controversy.
fromwww.housingwire.com
4 weeks ago

How Public Financing Wins Projects Before You Build

Through Community Facilities Districts (CFD), Municipal Utility Districts (MUD), Public Improvement Districts (PID), Community Development Districts (CDD) and reimbursement districts (RD), builders can potentially shift infrastructure costs off their balance sheets and onto special districts that homebuyers ultimately absorb through property taxes without potentially adding debt to the builder's books.
LA real estate
Renovation
fromLos Angeles Times
38 years ago

Boards a Force for Status Quo : Home Builder's 4th Plan Wins Approval

Architectural review boards in residential communities reject new home designs that conflict with neighborhood character, even when they meet city zoning requirements.
Environment
fromwww.amny.com
1 month ago

Op-Ed | It's time to finally modernize the State Environmental Quality Review Act | amNewYork

Zoning policies and land use decisions concentrate climate risks in communities of color while protecting wealthy neighborhoods, making housing reform essential for both climate justice and racial equity.
New York City
fromTime Out New York
1 month ago

NYC finally moves to crack down on endless scaffolding

New York City is implementing new scaffolding regulations to reduce sidewalk sheds covering 380 miles of streets and shorten their duration, targeting structures that have remained in place for years or decades.
US politics
fromThe Cipher Brief
1 month ago

Purpose-Built or Perilous: Congress Faces a Critical FBI Headquarters Decision

The FBI headquarters relocation must prioritize employee safety and data security over cost, requiring a new facility meeting Level V security standards rather than retrofitting the vulnerable Reagan Building.
fromPortland Mercury
1 month ago

Portland City Administrator Tells Staff ICE Facility Will Remain Open

I will tell everyone we are committed to that facility staying open. A lot of our residents, community members who are seeking federal assistance through immigration have to use this facility, and we want to make sure that facility is still an option for people to be able to use. Because if that facility is closed, people have to go across state lines to actually have those services provided.
Portland
NYC politics
fromtherealdeal.com
1 month ago

The Daily Dirt: Scaffold law enters the chat

New York's scaffold law, which holds owners and contractors fully liable for gravity-related injuries, significantly increases construction costs and faces reform efforts at both state and federal levels to reduce housing development barriers.
Public health
fromFast Company
2 months ago

Is your state making school zones more dangerous?

Simple, evidence-based interventions like handwashing and automated speed-enforcement cameras dramatically reduce deaths, but social and political resistance can delay adoption.
fromNew York Daily News
1 month ago

One man killed, another seriously injured in Brooklyn construction collapse

The victims, ages 47 and 40, were caught in the collapse at the work site, on Jefferson St. near Central Ave. in Bushwick, around 8:33 a.m., according to law enforcement. Firefighters extracted the pair of men after finding them trapped inside a caved-in construction trench, according to an FDNY spokesman.
Brooklyn
fromwww.housingwire.com
1 month ago

Massachusetts studies single-stair low-rise buildings to add supply

America's quilt work of states whose governors and lawmakers are bucking for housing policy change to break through supply constraints at the root of the nation's affordability crisis now counts Massachusetts among them. With a focus on prohibitively constrictive building codes and zoning ordinances, Gov. Maura Healey has adopted an approach officials in other states and cities have taken before pulling the legislative trigger study the matter for a year or more before drafting a reform policy agenda.
US news
fromArchDaily
2 months ago

Designing Streets Through the Lens of Care

Jane Jacobs was also one of the voices that challenged this predominantly rationalist logic, arguing that truly vibrant streets are those capable of sustaining the diversity of everyday life, its informal exchanges, and the forms of care and natural surveillance that emerge from them. What these authors share is a fundamental insight: streets are not merely infrastructures for circulation, but social ecosystems, shaped by the relationships, uses, and encounters that take place within them.
Design
fromArchDaily
1 month ago

Dispatched: Architecture of the American Post Office and the Privatization of Civic Space

Across towns and city centers, they carry the shifting architectural ambitions of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, from Greek Revival formality to Beaux-Arts monumentality and Art Deco ornament. Architects and federal planners would give these buildings a clear public role and a powerful physical presence. Stone façades, monumental halls, and crafted interiors projected stability, trust, and permanence. The post office placed the federal government directly into the everyday landscape of American life.
Remodel
fromFast Company
1 month ago

Why urban planners should strive for 'the photo album standard'

My family had Slide Show Night when I was growing up. Not every Saturday, but a whole bunch of Saturdays. Either my sister or I would be in charge of setting up the projector, the screen, and loading the carousel. During the show, there'd be a few landscapes or skylines taken during vacations, but almost all the shots were up close. Like most dads, mine wasn't a professional photographer, but he did a good job of capturing memory triggers: faces, gestures, and decorations.
Photography
UK politics
fromwww.bbc.com
2 months ago

High-rise rules relaxed after internet rollout warning

Government plans to exempt internal wall drilling for broadband installations in high-rise English flats from prior building-safety-regulator approval to speed fibre upgrades.
US politics
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 months ago

Washington seeks to reset ground-floor retail rules for residential buildings

Washington state moves to limit mandatory ground-floor retail and require housing by right on most commercial land in cities over 30,000 residents.
Public health
fromBloomberglaw
2 months ago

Workplace Injuries Plunge After Enforcement, Culture Shift

US nonfatal workplace injuries fell to 2.5 million in 2024, the lowest since 2003, driven by fewer workplace illnesses and strengthened safety measures.
East Bay real estate
fromPadailypost
1 month ago

Residents will need to get a city permit to park

East Palo Alto Council approved a residential parking permit program after modifying it to only affect neighborhoods where residents petition for permit zones, though permit pricing remains undetermined.
California
fromLos Angeles Times
1 month ago

State fire marshal misses deadline for apartment building safety report, angering housing advocates

Allowing single-stair apartment construction could lower multifamily housing costs and enable larger, better-lit units while fire-safety regulators evaluate modest building-code changes.
US politics
fromNextgov.com
1 month ago

Contract reviews continue at OMB, official says

OMB is leading a government-wide review to cull and reform IT contracts, emphasizing commodity IT and empowering CIOs in procurement and budgeting.
fromtherealdeal.com
2 months ago

Builders get their remedy, and some cities tweak their defenses

Cedar Street just came out victorious in a multi-year saga with the city of La Canada Flintridge, winning the first successful builder's remedy case in California Superior Court for its 80-unit mixed-use project at 600 Foothill Boulevard and setting a path for other developers to build. But the fight may have left its scars, in time, stress and now soured relationships with some officials.
Real estate
California
fromKqed
1 month ago

Factory-Built Housing Hasn't Taken Off in California Yet, but This Year Might Be Different | KQED

Factory-built housing is poised to expand in California as regulatory barriers fall but construction costs and scaling remain major challenges.
SF politics
fromMission Local
2 months ago

S.F moves to combine building inspection, planning and permitting into one department

San Francisco will merge Building Inspection, Planning, and PermitSF into a single permitting agency to improve coordination, reduce time and cost, requiring charter change by mid-2027.
Environment
fromcal.streetsblog.org
2 months ago

Op/Ed: Why Affordable Housing Doesn't Offset Vehicle Miles Traveled - Streetsblog California

Using affordable housing as CEQA VMT mitigation often increases total VMT because it adds households and travel rather than displacing market-rate housing.
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 months ago

Federal policy shifts drive new housing compliance challenges

APOR is baked into not only Dodd-Frank as a safe harbor against litigation which many lenders want to comply with and use for their business and pricing and risk but also there are a litany of 40 other statutes that are tied to APOR as it's described in Dodd Frank, over 27 states. Lenders frequently move ahead of formal rulemaking, Dunn added. You don't have to wait for the regulation to comply either, she said.
Real estate
fromArchDaily
2 months ago

Health, Habitat, and Civic Infrastructure: Designing the City as a National Park

Cities around the world share a common goal: to become healthier and greener, supported by civic infrastructure that restores ecosystems and strengthens public life. The question is how to reach this. Global climate targets, local building codes, and municipal standards increasingly guide designers and planners toward better choices. Still, many cities struggle to translate these frameworks into everyday, street-level comfort and long-term ecological protection.
Environment
fromStreetsblog
2 months ago

California Bill Aims to Modernize Coastal Development Rules in Urban Transit-Rich Cities - Streetsblog California

California lawmakers are advancing a bill that could reframe how housing, transportation, and infrastructure projects are approved in urbanized coastal communities, seeking to balance environmental protections with the state's urgent housing and climate goals. Assembly Bill 1740 (AB 1740) - introduced by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-West Hollywood/Santa Monica) - would allow qualifying cities to bypass individual California Coastal Commission approvals for certain housing and transportation projects if they meet specific urban, multimodal criteria.
California
New York City
fromCity Limits
2 months ago

Opinion: Automated Permitting is Vital to the Mamdani's Housing Agenda

Automated compliance checks should approve housing, retrofit, and energy projects in real time to speed deployment and reduce living costs.
fromwww.housingwire.com
2 months ago

California weighs single-stair multifamily to ignite housing supply

California's emerging housing fracas over a single stairwell may become a lightning rod, affecting both building codes and capital investment in more multifamily projects in more places. California's Fire Marshal is reportedly in the final stages of a report due this month on whether the state will allow singlestair multifamily buildings above three stories, and on when and how they may be permitted.
California
Real estate
fromStreetsblog
2 months ago

A Few Legal Tweaks Could Unlock A Mother Lode of Housing Near Transit - Streetsblog USA

The Build HUBS Act would enable communities to use TIFIA and RRIF funds to finance transit-oriented housing near transit, potentially unlocking up to 100,000 units.
New York City
fromCurbed
2 months ago

How Do I Convince My Super to Compost?

Residents should pressure building management or supers to implement composting since residential composting is mandatory but often relies on tenant enforcement.
Real estate
fromtherealdeal.com
1 month ago

The Daily Dirt: City proposes rules for housing fast track

Housing projects meeting Mandatory Inclusionary Housing affordability requirements in 12 community districts with the lowest affordable development rates can skip City Council review via fast-track.
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