Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, GB trains construction workforce at Building Lives Academy
The 11-week training course prepared participants aged 16 to 24 for jobs in construction and logistics. Project partner Willmott Dixon received a social investment lease to use council-owned properties for hands-on learning experiences. Building Lives Academy students completed courses on digital and job-related skills through the London Learning Consortium. Program graduates were ready for full-time employment and apprenticeships integral to the borough's growth.
Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, GB
United Kingdom
East Hampshire District Council, GB converts community hall into IOT-connected housing pods
Council officials worked with Velocity RDT on installing 10 pods as temporary accommodations for unhoused residents. Each single occupancy pod includes Wi-Fi connectivity, appliances, a kitchen, and a bedroom. Sustainable features like rooftop solar panels, green roofs, and intelligent heating reduce Pinewood Lodge's carbon footprint. IoT sensors identify maintenance issues through real-time monitoring of air quality, temperature, and sound levels.
East Hampshire District Council, GB
United Kingdom
Vancouver, BC streamlines building permit applications with its Permitting Improvement Program
The PIP reduces time spent by applicants and city planning staff on building permit applications. Vancouver implemented ePlan for entirely online applications and payments for residential permits. This system reduced building plan reviews from 12 weeks to under three weeks. A Tenant Improvement Program offers two-week turnarounds on applications for basic commercial building renovations. City officials are also testing an online permit process for home-based businesses.
Vancouver, BC
Canada
Pittsburgh, PA Downtown Conversion Program incentivizes redevelopment of commercial vacancies
The city's Urban Redevelopment Authority published an RFP for commercial-to-residential conversion projects. Eligible projects involve vacant office spaces in the Central Business District. Developers receive up to $100,000 per unit with a cap of $3,000,000 per project. The incentive amount depends on the percentage of units leased to tenants earning under the area median income (AMI). City officials will emphasize projects serving downtown workers earning less than 60% of AMI.
Pittsburgh, PA
United States
Enfield Council, GB repurposes demolition project waste through Excess Materials Exchange
The Excess Materials Exchange (EME) is an online directory for construction materials from council demolition projects. Builders find items ranging from bricks to structural beams on the Products page. The Projects section lists each demolition project and available product details. EME use expanded from the Meridian Water regeneration project to all projects by late 2022. Enfield Council is the first UK local authority to adopt EME and its experiences will shape adoption by other councils.
Enfield Council, GB
United Kingdom
Merrill, WI encourages new construction of single-family homes with incentive program
The construction incentive responds to years of minimal growth in single-family units compared to apartments. Developers and individuals can apply for credits worth $10,000 when they build on 28 designated lots. Eligible projects are located in or within a half-mile of a Tax Incremental District (TID) and appraised at $200,000 or more. Newly built homes generate revenues for development projects and expand housing options for new residents.
Merrill, WI
United States
Eastbourne Borough Council, GB evaluates active forest management impacts on low-carbon housing
The borough received a £200,000 grant from the Forestry Commission for the 16-month pilot. Project partners University of Brighton and Woodland Enterprise Centre will identify innovative methods for actively managing regional woodlands. Passive management of 41% of forests in the United Kingdom led to record lumber imports in 2021 and prohibitively expensive local lumber. Eastbourne hopes for reliable and sustainable sources of lumber for new housing developments.
Eastbourne Borough Council, GB
United Kingdom
Des Moines, IA streamlines new home construction with its residential combination inspection pilot
The city's Permit and Development Center (PDC) selected 18 inspectors for additional certification. This training allows each inspector to evaluate a new home's structural, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing features in a single visit. Local officials found that PDC resources were limited by multiple inspectors visiting a new home at the same time. The program started as a pilot for new single-family homes and expanded to all residential building projects.
Des Moines, IA
United States
Mid Devon District Council, GB develops assessment tool for low-carbon affordable housing
The Excel-based tool provides a framework for identifying the lowest-cost methods for building emission reductions. The Input section asks for data about new developments including the total number of dwellings, fabric standards, and building height. An Output tab presents the absolute and percentage of estimated emissions throughout the development's life. Project leaders also find out additional costs over minimum and projected energy savings for four dwelling categories.
Mid Devon District Council, GB
United Kingdom
Corona, CA simplifies building code compliance with Virtual Interactive Inspection Program
The Planning and Development Department adopted the Camino platform for virtual inspections. Contractors schedule appointments with at least one day's notice for 20 inspection types including bathroom remodels and underground electrical work. A smartphone or tablet allows the building inspector to confirm the project's location and review completed work. The program makes better use of inspectors' time and ensures timely inspections.
Corona, CA
United States
Warrington Borough Council, GB estimates the impacts of building retrofits with digital twin
Warrington, Pure Leapfrog, and IES developed a digital twin covering the borough's 70 square miles. Data from the council and the Energy Performance Certificate system resulted in 29 area models. The digital twin built from these models shows residential buildings' use, age, and utility infrastructure. The IES Intelligent Community Information Model allows borough officials to identify the optimal retrofit for each building based on basic, intermediate, and full retrofit scenarios.
Warrington Borough Council, GB
United Kingdom
Essex County Council, GB and Retrofit Academy train residents and businesses for retrofit projects
There is a shortage of certified professionals and businesses for £25 million in local energy-efficiency projects. Residents can complete five free training courses through Retrofit Academy ranging from the Level 2 introductory course to a Level 5 diploma in retrofit coordination. Every course is completed online with time commitments starting at 30 hours. Small businesses interested in retrofit work can apply for one year of support through the PAS 2030 SME Support course.
Essex County Council, GB
United Kingdom