Smart Buildings in Smart cities of India
In the wake of expected Earthquakes of Magnitude 8, Supreme Court of India passed a path breaking order highlights of which are mentioned below. In addition to the following stipulations, it becomes extremely important for an engineer or an architect to understand the socio-economical fabric of a place where the design is being implemented. Government of India has planned 100 smart cities across the country and this requires tremendous amount of responsibility and accountability. In the absence of proper guidelines available as of now, efforts are being made to draw some inferences from already designed smart cities and efficient buildings.
- NDMA undertake a public awareness campaign on a national basis through print and electronic media to educate the public about the four categories of earthquake resistant buildings and the detailed definition of each.
- The public awareness campaign is undertaken immediately and continuously so as to sensitize all the public, thereby saving lives in the eventuality of the earthquake.
- All public buildings to include commercial and office buildings, housing more than 100 persons, both new and old, should have an engraved metal plate of size not less than one feet by two feet, mentioning that the building is "Earthquake Resistant - Collapse Prevention" or any other category or "Earthquake Resistant - Unknown".
- All multistory buildings, more than 5 storeys high, both new and old, should have an engraved metal plate of size not less than one feet by two feet, mentioning that the building is Earthquake Resistant - Operational or Earthquake Resistant - Immediate Occupancy or Earthquake Resistant - Life Safety or Earthquake Resistant - Collapse Prevention or Earthquake Resistant - Unknown.
- The advertisements of all realty projects whether in print, electronic, social media or hoardings/ banners/ pamphlets/ brochures or email marketing or any other form of marketing etc. should explicitly, prominently and adequately state what is the earthquake resistant category of the building. That the statements about the earthquake resistant category should be in large and bold fonts comparable to the font and size of the project and developer name. When the advertising is in print media, brochures, pamphlets or email formats then the same should include the full definition of the earthquake resistant category as defined in the Government of India document.
Global Scenario
The rapidly growing world population is projected to reach 9.2 billion by 2050, an increase of 2 billion people in fewer than 35 years. Accompanying this vigorous population growth is an accelerating trend toward urbanization. The urban population by 2050 is projected to reach 6.4 billion, nearly double the population in cities just eight years ago.
Research by the United Nations indicates that although cities cover just 2 percent of the world's surface, they contribute a staggering 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions come from a variety of sources, including power generation, transportation systems, and building infrastructure.
A new publication, Green Building City Market Briefs, issued jointly by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the World Green Building Council (WGBC), and the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), a London-based coalition of cities, examines what leading cities around the world are doing to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in both the public and private building sector.
Smart Cities
"Cities are uniquely positioned to take meaningful action against climate change through the built environment, as they have jurisdiction over many building regulations, issue construction permits, and are more politically agile [and thus able] to pass and implement progressive policies and programs," said Cecilia Shutters, a data and policy communications specialist at USGBC, who provided written responses to questions posed by Civil Engineering online. "Cities have been at the very center of global efforts to combat climate change and foster sustainability. These new briefs were created to showcase the substantial and innovative progress they have made towards building a better, more sustainable world for all."
The authors of the study noted that they hope the document serves as a ready reference across a broad range of action areas for cities considering policies to increase their buildings' energy efficiency. The USGBC examined publicly available information in compiling the publication, which includes a gauge of mayoral power provided by C40. The publication examines a total of 66 cities, all members of C40. Fourteen of those are in North America, 18 are in Europe, and the remainder is in three major regions of Asia and Central and South America.
Sustainability efforts in these cities, some of which are spurred by incentives offered by state and national programs, are remarkably similar, given the vast distinctions between their nations' policies on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
"In all regions of the world, we saw policies or programs that target building energy efficiency," Shutters said. "Some cities target this by committing public or private buildings to achieving third-party certification such as LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]. Others establish building codes that exceed the efficiency requirements of the national code. Many do both."
The research notes that 74 percent of the cities in the publication are actively encouraging sustainable building practices through incentives to property owners. These incentives use many different means to achieve similar goals.
In New York City, for instance, owners who install a green roof on a structure qualify for a one-time tax abatement of as much as $100,000, amounts determined on the basis of installed square footage, through a state program aimed at larger cities. Philadelphia offers an incentive for green roofs that gives owners a credit equal to 25 percent of their installation costs to offset their business income and receipts tax.
The city-state of Singapore, through its Green Mark Incentive Scheme for Existing Buildings, pays as much as 50 percent of the costs of retrofits and renovations that reduce a building's energy or water demands. Whereas in Rome, property owners are eligible for national tax credits to improve insulation in their residential or commercial buildings, install update heating and cooling systems, and install solar panels.
In Germany, Berlin is taking a different approach, using a system that encourages property owners to develop low-impact designs by charging fees for storm water disposal that are calculated on the basis of the amount of site covered by such impervious surfaces as a conventional roof or parking lot.
"Cities have the ability to innovate like no other form of government," Shutters said. "They are directly connected to the needs and realities of their communities. A mayor with a strong vision for sustainability and resiliency can lead the charge to improve infrastructure, create policies to drive innovation, and help steer choices for the city's decisions about its own assets."
Schools are another area in which many cities are pursuing sustainability programs with different means toward similar goals. Many programs, such as the one developed by the New York City Department of Education, seek to improve such sustainability measures as recycling rates, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions, while also incorporating sustainability into the classroom curriculum.
In Toronto, the ambitious Solar Schools Project will install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of more than 300 schools while also repairing the roofs during the installation process. The project will eventually generate revenue by producing enough electricity to power 4,250 homes in Toronto each year.
The publication notes that many cities are leading by example, instituting green building policies and sustainability efforts that draw the attention of residents to the subject. Boston, for instance, recently installed a green roof on City Hall and will work with students from Tufts University to research the plants most suitable for this application in the city.
In this area, many European cities have the most ambitious goals, often going beyond strong national efforts. Copenhagen, for instance, is moving toward becoming carbon neutral by 2025, with plans to install 60,000 sq m of solar panels on municipal buildings. Likewise, Stockholm, building upon Sweden's national goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, is aggressively pursuing renewable energy and heat sources, and the city already meets the vast majority of its needs that way.
There are leaders in the United States, as well. San Francisco is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly by 2040 while drastically reducing waste even sooner. Portland requires that all new city buildings reach the gold level under USGBC's LEED program, while recycling 85 percent or more of all construction waste and achieving higher water-efficiency and energy-efficiency standards.
"All cities evaluated in North America have made a commitment to green-building incentives," Shutters said. "Further, North America had a much stronger uptake in its use of the LEED rating system, leveraging the credibility of third-party rating systems to verify sustainability investment and outcomes."
Incentives will remain important as cities strive to meet their own or nationally mandated goals. "Government plays an important role in today's market economy," Shutters explained. But soon private investments will be required as well. "We need incentives and creative ways for government to enable the power of the private sector to flourish in solving energy, water, climate, and resource challenges that, by their very nature, can also be business opportunities," Shutters said.