Search Results
Resource
Washington DC Green Zone Environmental Program
January 2016
The Green Zone Environmental Program (GZEP) is a program run by the District of Columbia’s Department of Energy and Environment that provides young adults aged 14 to 24 with summer careers in clean energy. Every year, over 300 youth and young adults throughout the District -- with a focus on recruitment from vulnerable, under-represented communities -- enroll in a six-week training and educational Program. The DOEE and GZEP partner with local businesses to expose participants of the Program to both classroom and hands-on training in the areas of stormwater management, solar energy installments, green infrastructure construction, landscaping, and more.
Resource Category: Education and Outreach
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
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
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
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
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
11th Street Bridge Equitable Development Plan, Washington D.C.
2015
The 11th Street Bridge Equitable Development Plan was developed in 2015 to address community development concerns around ongoing construction of the 11th Street Bridge Park, the city’s first elevated public park connecting Capitol Hill/Navy Yard in Northwest D.C. and the historic Anacostia/Fairlawn neighborhoods in Southeast D.C. – a project that has spurred concerns about investment-induced displacement and preserving the surrounding community’s environmental, economic, and cultural assets. The Equitable Development Plan proposes a cross-section of strategies to combat systemic inequities and displacement, including in housing, workforce development, small business development, and arts/culture. The plan, conducted in parallel with other local initiatives like the Douglass Community Land Trust, could help members of the community retain control of development and mitigate gentrification pressures, providing lessons across the city even as property owners and developers consider installing resilience upgrades and other investments to local housing stock.
Resource Category: Planning
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
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
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Sustainable DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2014 (Washington D.C.)
July 29, 2014
Two major packages of legislation directly supporting Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray’s 'Sustainable DC' initiative have been adopted. The ‘Sustainable DC Act of 2012’ was signed into law January 2013, and the ‘Sustainable DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2014’ on July 29, 2014.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Washington D.C. DDOT Green Infrastructure Standards
May 1, 2014
In 2014, the District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) released design requirement standards for Green Infrastructure (GI) design, construction and maintenance in the public right-of-way. The intent is to provide stormwater retention to meet the regulatory requirements, along with the infrastructure requirements within the public right-of-way. The standards were developed for Low Impact Development techniques including bio-retention, permeable pavement, and street tree space design.
Resource Category: Solutions
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
District of Columbia Green Area Ratio - Zoning Regulations
October 1, 2013
The District of Columbia (Washington D. C. ) Green Area Ratio (GAR) is an environmental sustainability zoning regulation which sets requirements for landscape elements and site design to help reduce stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and mitigate urban heat. The GAR sets minimum lot coverage standards for landscape and site design features to promote greater livability, ecological function, and climate adaptation in the urban environment. The GAR requirements provide a firm retention target and allow local governments to weight the elements they prefer in order to influence behavior, while providing some measure of flexibility for property owners.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Severe Weather and Critical Infrastructure Resilience: Preparing Washington D.C. (Meeting Summary)
April 23, 2013
The District of Columbia has initiated a climate change adaptation assessment to examine current and projected risks from severe weather and to develop a resilience plan to sustain and enhance the District’s economy and quality of life. On March 14, 2013, the District Department of Environment (DDOE), the District Office of Planning (OP), and the Center for Clean Air Policy (CCAP) held a workshop to gather input to help shape future preparation efforts to ensure they reflect stakeholder knowledge, experience and priorities.
Resource Category: Planning
See Resource Login to Add to My Resource List
Resource
Sustainable DC Plan (Washington D.C.)
January 2013
The Sustainable DC Plan, also 'Sustainability DC', is the District’s first sustainability plan, and has the goal of making the District the healthiest, greenest, most livable city in the nation over the next 20 years. In January 2013, Mayor Gray signed the Sustainable DC Act into law, which is designed to help promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, including clean energy financing and supporting renewable energy incentive programs. The legislation will also address water pollution in rivers, protect children from toxic exposure, and aid in energy assistance for low-income and elderly residents, among other initiatives.
Resource Category: Planning
