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Evaluating the impact of DC's 1910 Height Act from a sustainability and environmental perspective.
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REACHING FOR THE SKYHow DC’s Building Height Limits
Affect Sustainability
Anupam ChakravartyCCTP-817
Why the 1910 Height Act?
• Related to height of monument and Capitol dome?
Nope.
• Prompted by The Cairo (Dupont Circle)
Why the 1910 Height Act?
• Related to street width:
• Reinforced by zoning & land use laws• Impacted by surrounding structures
90 ft
110 - 130 ft
In Favor of Height Limits
Aesthetic and cultural arguments are restructured into environmental ones
I. DC’s Walkability• Light, airy quality
In Favor of Height Limits
II. Urban Heat Island Effect• Skyscrapers trap heat & sunlight• Blocking natural breezes• Keeping our cool
Potential Impacts• Greater energy expenditure• Detrimental to vegetation growth
In Favor of Height Limits
III. Scaling Back DC’s Growth• Caps the District’s population density
But is this actually better for the environment?
Against Height Limits
I. Curbing the Unsustainable Urban Sprawl• Socioeconomic consequences
(see also: gentrification)• Forcing growth horizontally into ill-equipped areas
Against Height Limits
I. Curbing the Unsustainable Urban Sprawl• Decreasing each person’s carbon footprint
(reliance on cars and roads)
LEED System Credits• Development Density• Community Connectivity
Against Height Limits
I. Curbing the Unsustainable Urban Sprawl• Sprawl puts open spaces and vegetation at risk• Impacts air quality, exacerbates heat trap
Against Height Limits
II. Attracting Architectural Innovation• Combating the urban heat island effect• Integrating renewable energy• Working with US Green Building Council & LEED System directives
Accounting for Delays
• Improvements to electrical grid• Improvements to mass transit• Promoting a mass transit mindset• Protecting DC’s history and culture• Ensnared in federal regulations
Congress… ::groan::
Skyward is the right direction for the District.