Jeremy Shannon, FAIA

Curious about how to drive multifamily development success in MBTA Communities? As a planning board member, I’ve been on the front lines of the MBTA Communities law, helping craft the overlay districts in my hometown. As the multifamily studio lead, developers have provided me with the opportunity to explore how various communities are shaping their bylaws. Each municipality takes a unique approach, and our goal is to align developers' visions with community needs. By providing quick and thorough zoning analysis and guiding developers through permitting processes, we help make projects viable. Check out my recent interview with Boston Real Estate Times, where I discuss the challenges and solutions shaping the future of multifamily housing in Massachusetts. 🎥👇 Key takeaways from the interview: - Crafting Impactful Bylaws: Balance the needs of both developers and the community. - Supporting Developers: We guide developers through complex site planning, engaging town leadership and the community for a smoother permitting process. - Masterplanning Sites: We collaborate with developers to maximize site potential through detailed zoning reviews, ensuring project success. Don’t miss the full interview with insights on how to navigate these new opportunities! #MBTACommunities #multifamily #housingcrisis #supplyanddemand Maugel DeStefano Architects https://lnkd.in/ev5mv_TR

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DIALOG partner Craig Applegath, FRAIC sat down with Medium writer Wes O'Donnell for an in-depth interview to discuss the urgency for climate adaptation interventions through design, and introduce the REACH Protocol DIALOG is developing to address these risks. In the article, the writer explores what building owners need to do to adapt their buildings to the escalating impacts of climate change. “I believe adaptation is an opportunity for positive change, and the ability to create impact is amplified when the whole problem is embraced, in a holistic manner,” Craig shares. “That’s why we created the REACH Protocol as a methodology for better understanding the impacts climate change will have on individuals, organizations, and communities — and developing effective strategies for adapting to those impacts.” Read full interview here: https://lnkd.in/gQBRRy5x   #DIALOG #design #thoughtleadership #climateadaptation

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Stephen O'Malley, CEO of Civic Engineers, advocates for sustainable, proximity-based urban design to address climate challenges and enhance wellbeing. Read more! 📚 https://lnkd.in/exfqVZ4u

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Reposting from Michelle Lambert, CPHC, LEED BD C, Env SP ! Fantastic embodied carbon policy news in Massachusetts today – the Climate Bill passed by the legislature last week and signed into law by Governor Healey yesterday includes the formation of a state Embodied Carbon Intergovernmental Coordinating Council! The Council must develop an embodied carbon reduction plan by July 31, 2025. The plan must, among other things: ⭐ Address the embodied carbon of state building and transportation projects by recommending EPDs and the use of low carbon materials; ⭐ Low carbon materials addressed will include cement and concrete mixtures, steel, glass, asphalt and asphalt mixtures and wood; ⭐ Consider interactions between embodied carbon and operational carbon to ensure policy recommendations to reduce embodied carbon will also contribute to the reduction of operational carbon (whole carbon consideration); ⭐ Make recommendations for establishing maximum global warming potential (GWP) values for products on or before January 1, 2026; ⭐ Consider the best approaches to incorporating embodied carbon reductions into the state building codes; ⭐ And consider best practices for incentivizing building material reuse and decreasing building demolition. In addition, the definition of ‘Clean Energy Research’ has been amended to include, “green building materials and embodied carbon reduction.” The 139-page Climate Bill also includes many other significant wins in support of Massachusetts’ 2050 net-zero goals, including: ⚡ An overhaul of the state's siting and permitting process for renewable energy infrastructure; ⚡ Putting new tougher restrictions in place for building natural gas pipelines while encouraging networked geothermal projects; ⚡ And the newly created Office of Environmental Justice and Equity and the Division of Public Participation at the Department of Public Utilities will be enshrined into law. A huge shout-out to the Massachusetts Climate Action Network (MCAN), the Carbon Leadership Forum Boston/Northeast Hub, AIA MA and the many volunteers who worked tirelessly with state legislators for over two years on this bill! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dVDj4bia.

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The estimable David Burney weighs the pros and cons on demolishing NYC public housing: "Would it not be possible to restore the existing buildings and provide the new units as infill? The 3,500 new units will not be affordable to local people, and we all know that 'affordable' is such an elastic term that even the subsidized units will be at upmarket prices. Then there is the very real risk that promises to rehouse current residents will not be kept." https://lnkd.in/eVi6x9mH

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A growing number of states are incentivizing building to Passive House standards -- including for affordable housing. This is truly a win-win-win and should be expanded: Passive House provides incredibly low utility bills for residents, provides exceptional indoor air quality, comfort & acoustics (helping to ameliorate chronic health inequities associated with substandard affordable housing), AND reduces the load on electric grids (especially peaks!), helping to ease the transition to a renewable grid. States like Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have shown that these results can be achieved with little to no cost premium for multifamily housing. Sol design + consulting certified the first affordable multifamily Passive House project in Ohio (as well as several in Pennsylvania) -- we look forward to working on more! https://lnkd.in/gz-zU5qi First multifamily Passive House in Ohio: Fairwood Commons: https://lnkd.in/grXdNWRX Cost data showing small to no cost premium for Passive House affordable housing: https://lnkd.in/g85BxVmN

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Please read this article......

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We recently posted a short article about how the AIA's Framework for Design Excellence paired with Sustainability Subject Matter Expertise can elevate design goals and foster synergies. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/eXKNtp57

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⭐ Pathways to Inclusion Applications are Now Open! The Pathways to Inclusion Initiative is designed to broaden ULI membership and expand the professional networks of developers and land use professionals of color as well as to diversify the networks of member leaders. In addition to a one-year ULI membership, the Pathways to Inclusion program will provide up to 15 individuals of color a scholarship to the 2024 Fall Meeting to be held in-person October 28 – October 30, 2024 in Las Vegas, NV. After the conclusion of the Fall Meeting, the program will provide a minimum of four cohort convenings during the one-year program to create structured connections to other cohort members as well as key Boston real estate leaders. 📣 Eligible Participants: The Pathways to Inclusion initiative is designed to increase participation of groups who are underrepresented in the land use and real estate fields, defined as being African American/African descent, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American, Middle Eastern, and Asian descent. Pathways Applicants must live in New England and be able to attend the Fall Meeting (October 28 – October 30, 2024). While registration will be provided, travel expenses and arrangements are not included. ✅ Apply by August 30, 2024. https://lnkd.in/esySPZHG #Careergrowth #Realestate #Diversity

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The latest edition of #HGAFrame is here — learn about a new catalyst for climate risk assessments, read a Quick Take with Equity Design Lead Noah Exum and celebrate ten years of Community Action: https://lnkd.in/g4zWx-pK

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At Via Collective, we believe in the power of innovative design and sustainable practices. The recent article by Nature, "How green spaces benefit city residents' well-being," underscores the critical role urban planning plays in creating healthier, more livable cities. The research highlights the profound impact of green spaces on mental and physical health, emphasizing the need for thoughtful integration of nature into urban environments. As advocates for sustainable urban design, we're inspired by these findings and committed to incorporating green solutions that enhance well-being and foster community resilience. Together, let's create urban landscapes that not only meet our functional needs but also nourish our minds and bodies. 🌱🏙️ https://lnkd.in/ecKNrVPi #SustainableDesign #UrbanPlanning #GreenSpaces #WellBeing #ViaCollective

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A whole-hearted "thank you!" to AIA Philadelphia for offering the opportunity to contribute to their wonderful publication, Context. My article, "Biogenics and Less" appears in the fall issue. https://lnkd.in/e-H8CAqJ As I am always careful to say, I am a practicing architect before anything else. I am a designer at heart and by training, and believe in the power of the designer to "make the revolution irresistible" (Toni Cade Bambara) -- but you have to know you have the right "revolution"! I am not a material scientist or a Life Cycle Assessment engineer. However, the petri dish of actual practice at OPAL Architecture offers something academia and raw data crunching do not: real test subjects! That and being open to learning new things from those that know the data better than I, and an openness to mindset change, particularly those that can form new design paradigm and canon. I am not a style guy, and believe firmly that great design must be driven by need and strive to be literal, and not representational. It is from that starting point that the designer can then look at real data to understand better when something truly is a game-changer, or whether we need to simply think abstractly and do more with less. Let's not let "biogenic" excess be just another failed utopian idea that drove over consumption like so many before it. Biogenic materials can absolutely play a critical roll in our decarbonized future built environment, but this is not a one-person show. #biogenics #masstimber

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New in our Micro-Climate Blog Series from Marcy Rockman! A 2023 Op-Ed from NY highlights the importance of adaptive reuse for maintaining local architectural character and history. But let's also consider the allocation of planning power and financial control in shaping our perspective on older vs. newer buildings. The development of modular housing addresses housing shortages, but we must carefully balance it with preserving local architectural styles and connections to the environment. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/eDdGsGT2 #ClimateChange ##architecture #historicpreservation #modularhousing #Archaeology #Sustainability #SHAClimate #SHA #ClimateHeritage 🏙️🔍

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Health and housing are inextricably linked to one another. Over the past year, HKS has leveraged research to evaluate how this link defines communities and how we can work towards mitigating challenges of prevalent disease and homelessness. Learn more about what our teams of researchers in Denver, Detroit and beyond have been exploring to enhance health outcomes and resilience through design. #health #housing #architecture #design

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Climate Solutions and the Breaking Barriers Collaborative are hiring! Our new program aims to reduce climate emissions from the buildings sector, while making sure that the needs of marginalized communities most impacted by climate change are addressed. https://lnkd.in/gzxcmGJP

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The built environment is crucial in restoring biodiversity with regenerative design practices. Check out our newest member-exclusive report, "Nature's Blueprint: Enhancing Biodiversity Through Design," to learn about incorporating biodiversity. Learn more and view the key insights. https://bit.ly/3ALSrIN

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The built environment is crucial in restoring biodiversity with regenerative design practices. Check out our newest member-exclusive report, "Nature's Blueprint: Enhancing Biodiversity Through Design," to learn about incorporating biodiversity. Learn more and view the key insights. https://bit.ly/3ALSrIN

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