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Washington DC: Targeting Urban Heat Islands
August 2015
This case study discusses how Washington DC is preparing for the impacts of climate change including sea-level rise, increasing flood risks, and heat waves. The case study explores how District agencies integrated considerations of climate change when developing the city's Sustainable DC plan, which was developed through an interagency working group. This effort spurred the development of a city-wide vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan. The case study also explores the District’s efforts to reduce urban heat islands by making grants to pilot the use of cool roofs, implementing the Smart Roof Initiative to retrofit District-owned buildings, and adopting of a new Green Building Code.
Author or Affiliated User: Sara Hoverter
Resource Category: Solutions
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Resilience for Free: How Solar+Storage Could Protect Multifamily Affordable Housing from Power Outages at Little or No Net Cost
October 14, 2015
This report from the Clean Energy Group uses project data for buildings in New York, Chicago, and Washington, D. C. , to examine the financial case for installing solar photovoltaics (PV) and battery storage systems (“solar+storage”) to support multifamily affordable housing. With the right market structures and incentives, solar+storage systems can provide an economic return, on par with energy efficiency or stand-alone solar. They can also help make affordable housing energy resilient by guaranteeing power for common area lighting, water, and communications.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Lew Milford, Robert Sanders, Seth Mullendore
Resource Category: Solutions
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DC Water Green Infrastructure, Clean Rivers Project (District of Columbia/Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland)
May 2015
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water), the District of Columbia, the U. S. Department of Justice and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have established an agreement which allows DC Water to pursue an integrated green/gray infrastructure approach to reduce combined sewer overflows into rivers and to capture rainwater. The agreement addresses water quality and supply issues in the Rock Creek and Potomac watersheds which traverse Maryland, Virginia, and the District.
Resource Category: Solutions
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Washington, DC Flood Levee System Improvements
December 2014
To prevent water from the Potomac and Anacostia rivers from flooding downtown Washington, D. C. , the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is improving the levee system along the north side of the National Mall, running from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument. A levee system was originally erected to protect the District in 1939, following a major flood event in 1936. This project will improve the levee system through a series of upgrades: a permanent closure at 23rd Street and Fort McNair, and the installation of a more robust removable wall, which will provide flood protection but also allow for traffic flow on 17th street between flood events.
Resource Category: Solutions
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Staying Green: Strategies to Improve Operations and Management of Green Infrastructure in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Staying Green discusses the barriers to and recommendations for effective operation and maintenance of green infrastructure practices for stormwater management. Green infrastructure (GI) requires proper maintenance to function effectively and continue to provide climate change adaptation benefits, such as urban heat island and flood mitigation. This report offers specific strategies, based on examples from throughout the Chesapeake Bay region and the country, to improve the operations and maintenance of GI practices.
Author or Affiliated User: Stacey Detwiler
Resource Category: Solutions
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Clean Rivers, Green District Agreement
December 2012
In 2012, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water), and the Government of the District of Columbia (Washington D. C. ) joined in a partnership agreement to to advance green infrastructure in D. C. The “Clean Rivers, Green District” agreement outlines the collaborative steps to support green infrastructure to achieve sustainable stormwater management, more livable communities, and other environmental improvements in the District.
Resource Category: Solutions
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Maycroft Apartments “Resiliency Room” in Affordable Housing Complex in Washington, DC
May 2019
A non-profit affordable housing developer, Jubilee Housing, is working to incorporate a “resiliency room” and increase affordable housing by renovating the historic Maycroft Apartments in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D. C. – an area of the District that has been experiencing rapid gentrification. The project will provide affordable housing and will renovate the complex's basement into a resiliency room to provide both emergency and everyday services for residents.
Resource Category: Solutions
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Resilience Hubs: Shifting Power to Communities and Increasing Community Capacity
March 28, 2018
This report describes an initiative of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) to encourage the creation of Resilience Hubs, which are defined as community-serving facilities meant to both support residents and coordinate resource distribution and services before, during or after a natural hazard event. While these are primarily meant to address vulnerability and risk, this report explains how Resilience Hubs can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support social equity. The report draws on lessons from Washington, DC, and Baltimore, Maryland, two cities that are actively exploring the Resilience Hub concept.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Kristin Baja, Kristin Baja, CFM
Resource Category: Solutions
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DC Hotel Voucher Program
2020
Under the auspices of D. C. law, the Interagency Council on Homelessness is required to meet the emergency housing needs of both homeless families and homeless individuals in instances of severe weather – whether hot or cold. As a result, the District’s Department of Human Services (DHS) works with hotels and motels in the greater metropolitan area to provide rooms for families and individuals when there are no vacancies at shelters. Due in part, however, to D. C. ’s Homeward initiative and other homeless services, the number of participants in the program have dwindled as people have either been transferred to permanent housing or other shelters.
Resource Category: Solutions
