Tag Archives: sustainability

Planes, Trains, Automobiles, and … Resilience

Earth day sustainabilityBy Paul Wessel

I’ve been thinking quite a bit lately about resilience, technically defined as “the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events.”

While our country clearly has fallen short on preparing and planning for the current COVID-19 adverse event, we are figuring out in real time how to absorb, recover from, and (we hope) successfully adapt–and I am struck by the role of the much-maligned, single-occupant vehicle (SOV) in making our way through.

While social distancing and sheltering at home discourage shared-transit use at the moment –and potentially strangle it in the long term–my trusty all-electric Chevy Bolt sits ready for those trips to the pharmacy and market and, if need be, hospital. If supply chains break down, bus drivers can’t drive, or gasoline can’t get delivered, as long as I have electricity (should’ve installed that solar energy system on my roof), my family is fine.

The resilient SOV was brought home to me by GM and its OnStar subsidiary’s announcement that it was giving me and other GM owners car-based free Wi-Fi and “crisis assist” (emergency operator assistance) service. So if the world goes to hell in a handbasket, my “drevice,” as my wife calls it, can keep me connected with the rest of surviving humanity and necessary emergency services.

Resilience draws from biology’s concept of adaptation as the “mechanism by which organisms adjust … to changes in their current environment.” It may be that the SOV that connects us to the outside world–or delivers us food from local restaurants or markets while we are sheltering at home–is both a cause of looming adverse events (transportation is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions) and part of the way we survive. Can we work with both these conflicting ideas at once?

(For some good, nuanced thinking about the SOV and public transit, see transit planner Jarrett Walker’s CityLab piece on why those of who can will opt for our cars coming out of this crisis and why transit makes urban civilization possible.)

Paul Wessel is director, market development, with the U.S. Green Building Council. This post is part of a five-day series commemorating Earth Day 2020.

Is Sustainability Only About Going Green?

Earth day sustainabilityBy David Karwaski

Sustainability is often thought of as “going green,” or being largely focused on natural environmental effects. Photos of polar bears on tiny flotsam of ice come to mind. But the natural environment is only part of the story—one-third of it, in fact. The other two-thirds are social sustainability and fiscal sustainability. Thus, the story isn’t to go green at any cost, but rather to be as green as one can afford to be while keeping an eye towards fairness and equity for people. This openness to all can also provide benefits to the bottom line; a more wide-ranging client base is often better for business than serving a narrow niche. The thought that should come to mind regarding sustainability is balance. Sustainability is indeed a balancing act—a dance between being green and earning green, with open arms to all.

Further, sustainability isn’t the icing on the cake—an add-on outside the primary business model of a parking operation or mobility services company, trotted out to display commitment to a better world. Sustainability should be part of the cake—the eggs, perhaps—integral to the entire operation and considered at each decision point; does this investment create more impact; is it an efficient investment, perhaps reducing energy usage; and does it serve customers well? LED lighting projects for parking structures is a good example of a triple win: LEDs save energy and thus eliminate some GHG emissions and after a payback period, will also help the bottom line while providing a better environment for people to move through. So the next time you hear about sustainability, remember that it’s a balancing act, for you and for your company, not just the polar bears.

David Karwaski is senior associate director, events and transportation, at UCLA. This post is part of a five-day series commemorating Earth Day 2020.

 

Making the Switch

Earth day sustainabilityBy Conor Burke

“This is not normal.” This quote has been used in many aspects of our lives the last few years, and COVID-19 has made sure this phrase will be with us in the foreseeable future.

As an industry, parking and mobility has been trending to be more green-friendly.

There are a multitude of ways these statements—being more sustainable and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic—are coming together. One manner should be fairly obvious: cleaning our facilities. The recent focus on washing our hands for 20 seconds and disinfecting high-traffic areas should have all professionals looking at their stocks of supplies and thinking about the surfaces customers touch all the time. Switching to certified green-friendly cleaning products can be easy to implement into your facilities. The green certification on these products was earned by having the product tested and quantified from toxicity limits to the energy used to produce them.

Certified cleaning products can help combat the spread of germs and help keep our employees safe in a more eco-friendly way. Parking and mobility professionals should make the conscious switch to green-friendly cleaning products and turn these higher standards into the industry norm.

Conor Burke is operations manager with VPNE Parking Solutions. This post is part of a five-day series commemorating Earth Day 2020.

The Race to Profitability: TNCs and Micro-Mobility

Earth day sustainabilityBy Brian Shaw, CAPP

Getting folks to reduce their driving would seem to be an ideal way to help the environment and improve a region’s traffic conditions. However, any environmental and traffic benefits depend on the mode folks switch to from driving themselves. In the case of micro-mobility and TNCs, these benefits have been a mixed bag.

In San Francisco, studies have determined that the growth in the city’s traffic (that is until the COVID-19 pandemic) is primarily a result of the use of TNCs patrolling the city before, during, and after their rides.

The various electric and/or dockless micro-mobility devices continue to clutter numerous cities’ streets and are found battered and broken. Inoperable and damaged devices are filling landfills. Plus, there have been many riders hurt and some even killed while using hourly-use electric scooters.

Neither of the big TNCs (Uber or Lyft) nor any micro-mobility services have been able to turn a profit and develop a business model that works financially. Their biggest issue is continuing to rely on human labor to provide their service. TNCs need human drivers to provide rides for their customers. Autonomous vehicles have yet to be proven viable and capable of consistently operating in complicated urban environments. Both TNCs have been artificially keeping their rates low, in fact they’re lower than what they have mostly replaced—taxi cabs. While this has help them build market share, it has been at a financial loss. TNC drivers are also increasingly wanting better wages and conditions and the right to form unions to collectively bargain their working conditions and wages. Will the TNCs survive and sustain their current business model, or are they both in a race to autonomy and profitability?

As for micro-mobility, a similar situation is also occurring. Research and development are underway to automate the process that is one of the costliest aspects of the program—the nightly collection, charging, and redistribution of the devices. Until automation occurs, how long can the micro-mobility business model survive?

I would argue TNCs and micro-mobility are only bridge technologies: a means to an end state where autonomous vehicles and automated devices will finally make TNCs and micro-mobility sustainable for the environment as well as financially viable.

Brian Shaw, CAPP, is executive director of Stanford Transportation, Stanford University. This post is part of a five-day series commemorating Earth Day 2020.

Five Essential Elements for Planning a Mobility Hub

Earth day sustainabilityBy David Taxman, PE

I was recently asked to develop a plan for two mobility hubs at two developments in a south Florida city. Mobility hubs are multiple modes of transportation (i.e. train, bus, bike-share, car-share, etc.) at one location, and are typically located at high-frequency, public transit stations.

After reviewing case studies of mobility hubs across the world, I developed a list of five essential elements to consider as part of the planning of a mobility hub.

  1. Consider the users. The modes of transportation provided should be the most beneficial to the users in the area. Make data driven decisions regarding the investment in transportation infrastructure.
  2. Consider the larger transportation network. A network of mobility hubs is successful if the surrounding transportation system effectively supports each mode of transportation. Are there supporting bike lanes, sidewalks, intersections that consider the pedestrian, HOV lanes, etc.?
  3. Place in active locations. Mobility hubs should be in active areas with high transportation and parking needs. The goal should be to reduce both SOV trips and parking demand.
  4. Ensure mobile wayfinding applications. Each mode of transportation should be on a mobile app and possibly offer an easy form of payment through the app or allow seamless transfers with a transit card.
  5. Provide necessary and attractive amenities. There are a variety of amenities that can be provided when you begin to consider the users and the modes of transportation offered. Such amenities could include lockers, café/vending, shelter/bench, interactive map, parking, etc.

David Taxman, PE, is a project manager with Kimley-Horn. This post is part of a five-day series commemorating Earth Day 2020.

 

 

Unpacking the APO: Approach to Sustainability

By Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP

IPMI LAUNCHED THE ACCREDITED PARKING ORGANIZATION (APO) program with a focus on excellence in our industry. The APO program recognizes parking, transportation, and mobility organizations at the top of their game—these organizations can be recognized at one of two levels (Accredited and Accredited with Distinction). In identifying excellence and establishing criteria, IPMI created 14 categories that represent critical operational areas, including but limited to:

  • Governance and Organization.
  • Financial Budgeting and Management.
  • Customer Service; Asset Maintenance.
  • Safety, Security, and Risk Management.
  • Sustainability and Access Management (Transporta­tion Demand Management [TDM]).

The Sustainability (and Access Management) sec­tions contain three required items. Applicants must demonstrate 25 required items in total, which establish a baseline for success. These criteria are often broadly defined and may be achieved through a variety of means (and accompanying documentation).

Realistic Goals
The good news: It’s relatively simple to document because the APO program was designed for every organization, allowing tremendous flexibility in how to provide information. Although many of the criteria touch on the triple bottom line, these required ele­ments must be achieved:

  • Demonstrates a strategic commitment to environ­mental sustainability. (Sustainability Criteria 10.1).
  • Demonstrates implementation of sustainable prac­tices that showcase a direct reduction in energy or resource use. (Sustainability Criteria 10.2).
  • Demonstrates a commitment to reducing or distribut­ing travel demand. (Access Management Criteria 11.1)
  • Documentation for achievement of Criteria 10.1, or strategic commitment to environmental sustainability, could include:
  • A sustainability master plan or annual report for the organization demonstrating strategic objectives, benchmarking, and outcomes.
  • A section of the organization’s website that show­cases goals, strategies, and programming to de­crease the reliance on the single-occupant vehicle and diversify transportation modes and alternatives.

The really good news: Either of these items could potentially document all three of the required criteria!

SUSTAINABILITY: ACCREDITED CRITERIA

10.1 Required: Demonstrates a strategic commitment to environmental sustainability.

10.2 Required: Demonstrates implementation of sustainable practices that showcase a direct reduction in energy or resource use.

10.3 Provides incentives to promote use of low-emitting and fuel-efficient or alternative-fuel vehicles.

10.4 Demonstrates use of alternative-fuel fleet vehicles.

10.5 Provides payment system in parking facilities to reduce idling upon exiting.

10.6 Recycles or repurposes materials and equipment.

10.7 Uses energy-efficient lighting systems and/or controls in parking facilities.

10.8 Uses energy-efficient, environmentally favorable heating ventilation and air conditioning systems and/or controls in facilities requiring ventilation, or facilities designed without mechanical ventilation.

10.9 Uses halon-free fire-suppression systems.

10.10 Demonstrates planning for continued sustainability gains.

Accredited with Distinction Criteria

10.11 Achieved Parksmart Certification, LEED Certification, Green Globes rating, or equivalent certification for at least one parking facility.

10.12 Posts policies regarding sustainability in prominent public space.

10.13 Manager(s) directly responsible for day-to-day parking operations has earned and maintained a qualified environmental sustainability credential.

10.14 Implemented external wayfinding system to reduce time spent searching for a parking space.

10.15 Implemented internal wayfinding system within parking facility or facilities to reduce time drivers spend locating a space.

10.16 Installed and maintains electric vehicle charging stations.

10.17 Provides tire inflation stations or mobile tire inflation services.

10.18 Implemented water-reduction technologies/strategies.

10.19 Roofing system designed to reduce heat-island effect and/or provide stormwater mitigation.

10.20 Generates renewable energy on site, and/or purchases renewable energy credits.

10.21 Provides proactive parking facility maintenance plan.

10.22 Uses permeable materials in at least in one surface parking facility.

Earning APO
To become accredited, an organization must meet at least 80 percent of the remaining criteria (in addition to the 25 required items). Refer to the summary chart for a snapshot of the criteria as they relate to sustainability. Those familiar with LEED and/or Parksmart will notice that the criteria may seem similar—they are designed to be mutually reinforcing and recognize the same objectives as identified in the IPMI Sustain­ability Framework. APO is a comprehensive accreditation (not just a sustainability one), yet the program acknowledges the value and importance of sustainability (and TDM) initiatives in a comprehen­sive approach to excellence.

IPMI will recognize our newest APOs on stage in San Antonio, Texas, at the 2020 IPMI Conference & Expo, and there’s plenty of time to complete the process before the February 1, 2020, deadline.

Want to find out more? Visit parking-mobility/apo or reach out to us at apo@parking-mobility.org.

Read the article here.

RACHEL YOKA, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, is IPMI’s vice president of program development. She can be reached at yoka@parking-mobility.org.

 

TIMBER! Considering cross-laminated timber as a solid strategy to future-proof parking

By Chelsea Webster

BUILDING A PARKING FACILITY IS EXPENSIVE—not only because of the land, permits and 19-10 TIMBER articlered tape, and technology you have to incorporate into the facility, but also because of the material and construction costs. To make matters worse, after sinking piles of money into the project, some parking structures end up being pretty ugly—think the common six-story, 25-year-old cracking concrete monstrosities. They’re not really what you’d want to showcase your newest parking technology and investments in.
There is also a huge push from many direc­tions to be more environmentally conscious in our endeavors—things such as LEED certifica­tion, Parksmart certification, sustainability, and new tech, including solar panels that shade park­ing lots and putting lights on a sensor system.

We recognize that we need to make changes in parking. But what?
A term we’ve heard a lot lately is “fu­ture-proofing.” A couple key trends the parking industry has seen for new parking facilities are:

1. Mixed use developments: parking, commer­cial, residential, or some combination of these all under one roof.

2. Convertibility: meaning that at the end of their parking lifespan, with some modifications, ga­rages can have another purpose, such as retail, public gathering places, or special event space (stadium, concert hall, etc.).

I am not discounting the value and purpose of our existing parking structures. But as new ones are built, we need to plan for their futures better than we did for those of their predecessors.

So how can we plan for the future of parking infrastructure while making it cost less, be more environmentally friendly, and look nice enough that people want to use it for more than just tem­porary vehicle storage?

Enter Cross-laminated Timber

Cross-laminated timber (CLT, also known as mass timber) is an engineered wood product made by gluing planks together to form layers and gluing layers together (perpendicularly) to form panels. Think of the board game Jenga. The panels are used in construction for walls, floors, and framing, either exclusively using CLT or in conjunction with other building materials (steel, concrete, etc.).

CLT performs similarly to traditional concrete elements and was meant to replace all sorts of materials, es­pecially stone and masonry components.

More facts:

  • More layers means greater strength, with the typical panel consisting of three to seven layers.
  • Panels range anywhere from 2 to 18 feet in width and 40 to 98 feet in length, depending on the production facility and purpose of the panel.
  • Load-bearing for large panels is around 82,000 pounds.
  • It’s great for buildings in the 40-story or 500-foot-tall range.
  • It has comparable structural performance as traditional concrete elements.

Why Use CLT?
The most common benefits of CLT are its light weight, faster construction time, environmental impact, and cost savings during construction and installation. Let me explain:

  • Weight: Significantly less weight is held by the CLT structure than one with traditional building mate­rials such as concrete. Less weight means fewer de­mands on the foundation, and the ability to build tall structures as the base can support a higher volume of materials. It’s also less dense, which means it does not transmit as much noise.
  • Speed: CLT is a prefabricated material, so panels that meet exact sizes and specifications (such as lo­cations of door or window openings) can be made in advance. This reduces construction time, especially because there are many production facilities across North America.
  • Environment: Mass timber is a renewable re­source, in that trees used to make the panels come from sustainably managed forests that are planted and regrown (tree harvesting is currently outpaced by tree replanting in the U.S.). Trees are also CO2 negative, meaning wood absorbs the gas rather than contributing to our pollution problem (900kg of CO2 absorbed per ton4). Each cubic meter of wood saves two tons of emissions, resulting in a savings of 50,000 tons for a 40-story building.5 And best of all, it’s made primarily from trees infected with moun­tain pine beetle that would have had to be removed and destroyed regardless.6
  • Cost: Foundation requirements are reduced signifi­cantly when CLT is used for building thanks to de­creased weight. Labor requirements are also reduced as specialists aren’t required,7 and construction can be completed sooner, meaning the building can open and start generating revenue faster. Finally, CLT has excellent thermal insulation and air tightness and can help save on related costs in colder climates.

Why Not Use Mass Timber?

CLT is a relatively new development in building materi­als. Although it has been used successfully across Europe for more than a decade, North America has been slow to adopt the technology. That’s partly due to a previous lack of production facilities and partly due to a lack of exam­ples and case studies proving the success of CLT.
Although mass timber is certainly catching on, there’s still a great deal of research to be done on the longevity, durability, and conditions under which CLT would be a good choice of building material.

I spoke with John Nairn, professor of mechanical engineering at Oregon State University and an avid researcher of CLT.9 When it comes to mass timber, his biggest concern with the structural functionality of the material is cracking. If not dried properly, or exposed to changes in moisture content, the wood cracks and loses structural integrity.

I also asked John if cars constantly driving and park­ing in the structure cause vibrations, noise, or other me­chanical stress issues. It turns out that vibrations and noise are actually dampened by wood constructions, so this is actually a benefit over other materials.

Addressing the Elephant(s) in the Room

It’s made of wood. Will my parking structure catch fire?
It’s understandable that many people would assume that because it’s made of wood, it’s easily combustible. In reality, CLT is actually difficult to set on fire, and one of the best properties is that it attempts to put itself out if it catches fire.

When designing a CLT-based building, it’s import­ant to note that thicker panels (due to more layers, not thicker boards) are more fire-retardant than thinner ones. Also, vertical panels (such as walls) are more resistant to flames than horizontal panels (such as ceilings).
I hope it goes without saying that you should con­sult a professional in the field and follow all building standards. For those interested, CLT is recognized in the international building code, and both the U.S. and Canada have handbooks on building with CLT.

Can CLT Be Used for Parking Structures?
My answer for you (after much research and interview­ing Nairn) is a definite yes—with some considerations.

The first thing to think about is your climate. Wood components of CLT are ideally dried to within 1 to 3 percent moisture and then remain at the same mois­ture content. So, if you’re in a humid location such as New Orleans, La; Atlanta, Ga.; or almost anywhere in Florida, you’ll need to have the panels made nearby so they don’t absorb the moisture in the air once shipped and used in construction.

That being said, rainy climates such as Vancou­ver, Canada, and Seattle, Wash., are some of the most prominent (North American) pioneers when it comes to building projects using CLT. Issues occur when there is a change in the environment—the resulting residual shrinkage and expansion causes problems, not any given climate itself.

Also of note are particularly snowy climates, but effi­cient snow removal (as in before it melts into the wood) should combat this issue. Another option is coating the panels to be waterproof, although this would add to the cost of the material. Salt and sand used to combat snow are unlikely to be an issue if panels are properly sealed.

The second thing to think about is maintaining a consistent temperature. CLT cracks the least when it’s kept at a relatively consistent temperature. So, if you’re in a climate that varies drastically between seasons, it would be necessary to manually control the tempera­ture on an ongoing basis.

The third consideration is the quality of the CLT panels. A CLT panel with thinner but more layers is better resistant to fire and cracking, can handle more weight, and is generally better prepared to handle other issues. However, these quality concerns often come at a higher price, and it may also be more difficult to find a production facility willing to accommodate.

Mitigating Challenges
Considering the above challenges, there are several ways to address the potential issues and overcome them. Each of these items can also be monitored on an ongoing basis as a preventive maintenance plan, and any issues can be addressed before they develop further.
Let’s start with cracking. If (or more likely when) cracking does occur, it isn’t necessarily a problem. Panels can lose up to 50 percent of their strength and weight-bearing ability once cracked, but if you build to only ever use the panels up to 50 percent of their rated capacity, you won’t have an issue with cracks. A dura­bility analysis is a good step to figuring out the rate at which cracks are likely to occur, and planning occupan­cy and use around the results will mitigate any issues.

Next up is the consistency of the temperature. If you live in a moderate climate, you’re set. If you don’t, one option is to use mass timber on the inside of a structure—for walls, floors, and ceilings. CLT is a great candidate for an indoor application where temperature is regulated. For parking, a heated or temperature-con­trolled garage is an ideal use case. Even better, mass timber products work great in conjunction with other materials. So, you could build a concrete foundation and exterior walls and use CLT for the elevator shafts, stairwells, ceilings, and other indoor components.
Finally, let’s tackle the quality and availability of CLT. The industry is growing quickly both abroad (Europe and Japan in particular) and domestically (production facilities are opening and expanding on a monthly, if not weekly basis12). With new facilities opening regularly, product technology will improve, competition will bring down costs, and new locations will broaden availability and reduce shipping challenges. The logical progression will be that CLT panels will increase in quality (thinner layers, and more of them, with new coatings to prevent delamination and other deterioration) and availability.

Example Structures
Still a bit unsure about mass timber as a building ma­terial? Here are some examples from Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. showing successful construction projects.

1. Dalston Works: Apartment complex in London, England, made of a cluster of buildings ranging from five to 10 stories high. 33.8 meters tall, 374 days to complete (pre-fab­ricated pieces made offsite), 121 apartments total plus restaurant and retail space.

2. Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre: Located in Brant­ford, Ontario, Canada, this project used CLT in ex­pansion of the preexisting facility for ceilings, out­door shelters, indoor panels, and design elements.

3. Albina Yard: A four-story office building in Portland, Ore., which was the first U.S. building to use a domes­tically made CLT structural system.

4. Riverfront Square: 2 million square feet of offices, 2,000 residential units, a hotel, public space, and cultural facilities comprise the three-building proj­ect. This is slated to be the biggest CLT project in the U.S. to date.

These are just a select few of the projects already planned or completed using mass timber.

What’s Next?
More research is definitely on the agenda. Organiza­tions such as the Softwood Lumber Board, Binational Softwood Lumber Council, United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Canada, and Canadi­an NEWBuildS Network are supporting considerable research around the use of CLT and other mass timber systems.13 Things such as lifespan, load bearing, and durability all need to be carefully researched, and con­ditions for proper use documented.
Expanded mass timber production is also on the horizon. Canadian company Structurlam is on the fore­front of the mass timber revolution. It produces CLT for projects across North America (Microsoft, Vancouver Convention Centre, Raleigh Durham Airport, Ronald McDonald House, recreation centers, Art Gallery of On­tario, and more) and is supplying materials to all sorts of projects across Canada and the U.S. Structurlam is set­ting the stage for many successful companies to produce and supply this reinvigorated building essential.

Partnerships are developing among key players as well. Architects, engineers, wood producers, and builders are working together to design and produce sound structures with an environmentally conscious backbone. It’s only a matter of time before government becomes involved and starts to regulate (maybe even mandate) eco-friendly building materials such as mass timber. We’re at the precipice of a new wave of carbon emission regulations and other restrictions on tradi­tional construction techniques. If all parties come to the table, safety, environmental protection, profits, ur­ban living, and other priorities don’t have to compete.
Overall, cross-laminated timber is a promising new application of wood as a safe and efficient building mate­rial for residential, commercial, recreational, and park­ing buildings. It lowers the cost of the project, speeds up construction time, and is environmentally friendly.

By incorporating mass timber in this way, we meet a lot of needs in parking: We stay relevant and innovative for our customers, we meet environmental regulations, and we implement new overhead cost-reduction op­tions. When it comes down to it, who wouldn’t like to be on the forefront of bringing these benefits to the parking industry?

Read the article here.

CHELSEA WEBSTER is a marketing specialist at ParkPlus System. She can be reached at chelsea.webster@getparkplus.com.

References
1. Think Wood: www.thinkwood.com/products-and-systems/cross-laminated-timber-clt-handbook

2. CORE: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82228698.pdf

3. American Plywood Association (APA) www.apawood.org/cross-laminated-timber

4.www.architectsjournal.co.uk/buildings/feature-just-how-sustainable-is-cross- laminated-timber/10024485.article

5.CORE: https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/82228698.pdf

6.www.bdcnetwork.com/5-myths-about-cross-laminated-timber

7.www.bdcnetwork.com/5-myths-about-cross-laminated-timber

8.www.iafss.org/publications/fss/9/1279/view/fss_9-1279.pdf

9.Personal interview with John Nairn, professor of mechanical engineering and chair in wood science and engineering at Oregon State University; he can be reached at www.cof.orst.edu/cof/wse/faculty/Nairn/

10.www.bdcnetwork.com/5-myths-about-cross-laminated-timber

11.www.iafss.org/publications/fss/9/1279/view/fss_9-1279.pdf

12. www.eesi.org/articles/view/domestic-mass-timber-industry-expands-with-two-new-planned-clt-facilities-f

13.www.structuremag.org/?p=10054

APA—THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION

Riverfront Square: 2 million square feet of offices, 2,000 residential units, a hotel, public space, and cultural facilities comprise the three-building project. This is slated to be the biggest CLT project in the U.S. to date.

APA—THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION

Additional Resources
As always, I’m not a subject matter expert on CLT. I think it’s a great technology we can implement in parking, and I’d love to talk more about it with anyone who’s interested. Email me at chelsea.webster@getparkplus.com. If you want to research deeper into mass timber, below are some of the sources I recommend.
•GreenSpec: Everything from the history, manufacturing process, use, and performance of CLT. www.greenspec.co.uk/building-design/cross-laminated-timber-design/

•The Future of Timber Construction: Report addressing wood as a building material, trends of the future, the market for wood products, impact of demographics, and changes in society that affect building materials, purposes, and technology. www.clt.info/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Stora-Enso-The-future-of-timber-construction-EN.pdf

•Naturally Wood: Document reviewing wood in an industrial building use case, best practices, applications, and case studies. The main website also provides insights in emerging trends, design, sustainability, and connects you to suppliers in the industry. www.naturallywood.com/sites/default/files/documents/resources/bc_wood_industrial_buildings_0.pdf

APA—THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION

University Offers Free Bike Valet Parking, Lights, on Game Days

To promote alternative transportation on football game days, the University of Arkansas offers free bike valet parking at its stadium. And to ensure bikers get home safely after night games, it will give them bike lights, too. Biking fans also get free snacks and drinks–making this all quite a package for those who choose not to drive to games.

Bikers can check in their bikes with valets 90 minutes before kickoff. They’re given tickets that match tickets attached to their bikes, just like a coat check. When the game is over, they have an hour to present their tickets at the check area to retrieve their two-wheelers.

The program is offered by the university office of sustainability and VeoRide bike-sharing. Read the whole story here. Does your university offer a similar program? We’d love to hear about it–email editor@parking-mobility.org.

 

A Sense of Urgency

By Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP

Climate change is not a remote problem. It is relentless and as Shelley Poticha said recently at the Shared Use Mobility Summit, “it requires a sense of urgency.”

It’s pretty darn overwhelming. How do we tackle climate change, build more sustainably, and improve not only mobility but also social equity?

Twenty-five big cities are working to change that through The American Cities Climate Challenge, supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Each of the cities commits to the Paris Climate Agreement–details at wearestillin.com.

This two-year acceleration program provides additional and significant resources to address climate change and advance a more sustainable future for residents. This support is provided with a specific goal: to meet or exceed near-term reduction goals for carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. Find out more about how these cities are creating positive change–and what you and your organization can do to help. Ideally, with a sense of urgency.

Rachel Yoka, CAPP, LEED AP BD+C, WELL AP, is IPMI’s vice president of program development.

To Build or Not to Build?

By Josh Naramore

There are many news stories that purport the end to parking and that our autonomous future will drastically reduce cities’ needs to provide parking. However, we don’t know when or if that future may come to pass and still need to provide parking services to the customers of today. So how can we look to build new parking facilities that accommodate current needs and adapt for future uses?

The City of Grand Rapids, Mich., partnered with WGI to apply adaptive reuse principles to a new parking structure on a small parcel known as The Wedge. The Wedge site is adjacent to an existing parking structure, allowing the new building to be connected and built with no internal ramping and flat floors. Using short-span construction allows for adequate floor loads and maximization of floor-to-floor heights to accommodate future office or residential uses. The ground floor is reserved for street-level retail. Additionally, the structure can support up to eight stories of development atop its roof for future non-parking uses.

The cost of building this new facility does come at a premium of 50 percent more when compared to costs of a comparable traditional parking structure, but it also provides greater future flexibility for the city.

Josh Naramore is mobile GR and parking manager with the City of Grand Rapids, Mich.