women of green

Urban Oases: Reclaiming Residential Yard Space

Evan Mason, MA

January, 2010

1. Environmental Science

2. Education3. Public Policy

Three-Pronged Approach to Reclaiming Open Space

Urban Open Space Types• Public: Parks, Greenstreets, Plazas, Street Trees• Private

– Courtyards and terraces;– Roofs;– Single family and small scale housing—

Riverdale, Staten Island, Sunnyside Gardens;

– Rowhouse backyards and front area ways;– Apartment building front, rear and side areaways;

NYC Manhattan Bronx Brooklyn Queens Staten IslandTotal Area (acres) 194,739 14,581 27,138 45,811 70,166 37,043Percent of New York City 100.00% 7.49% 13.94% 23.52% 36.03% 19.02%Open Space 113,077 6,145 16,002 22,606 41,713 26,611Percent of Total Borough Area - 42.14% 58.96% 49.35% 59.45% 71.84%Percent of Total NYC Area 58.07% 3.16% 8.22% 11.61% 21.42% 13.67%Private Open Space (acres) 53,991 1,831 6,343 10,674 20,975 14,167Percent of Total Borough Area - 12.56% 23.37% 23.30% 29.89% 38.24%Percent of Total NYC Area 27.72% 0.94% 3.26% 5.48% 10.77% 7.27%Yard Space (acres) 68,026 3,027 8,804 13,504 24,061 18,630Percent of Total Borough Area - 20.76% 32.44% 29.48% 34.29% 50.29%Percent of Total NYC Area 34.93% 1.55% 4.52% 6.93% 12.36% 9.57%Residential Yard Space (acres) 52,236 2,077 6,438 10,674 19,857 13,190Percent of Total Borough Area - 14.24% 23.72% 23.30% 28.30% 35.61%Percent of Total NYC Area 26.82% 1.07% 3.31% 5.48% 10.20% 6.77%LANDMARKWEST! AND CUNY Institute for Sustainable Cities, 2008

Summary of Open, Private, Yard, and Residential Space in New York City

How Much Urban Open Space is There?

Historic Preservation + Environmental Benefits =

New Approach to Preserving the Built and the Natural

Environments

Environmental Benefits• Reducing the amount of water needing

treatment by the City’s already overburdened water treatment system;

• Reducing temperatures (Urban Heat Island effect) and energy use over the hot summer months;

• Air quality improvement and air pollution reduction properties of trees and other vegetation

• Habitat

Blue JayRuby-Throated Hummingbird

Mourning Dove Downy Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

Habitat

Ecological Servicesand Climate Change

Stormwater FACTS: Retain/detain at the Source•27 billion gallons of untreated wastewater flow into our waterways annually;•NYC will have to spend $1.9 billion over the next 10 years to reduce the number of times a year that untreated wastewater flows into our waterways;•1.4 billion gallons of water per inch of rainfall runoff could be captured by the 53,000 acres of residential open space IF it were all covered with permeable surfaces;

Heavy Rains likely to increase precipitation in NYC 7.5-10%

Ecological ServicesTree, Air Pollution and Urban Heat Island

Trees and Vegetation:• Improve air quality;• Reduce temperatures;• Removing pollutants from the air;• Reduce energy consumption where tree canopies

shade nearby buildings.

Plunz, R. A History of Housing in New York City

Rowhouse—Garden Core

Typical Unclaimed Apartment Building Space

Photos: eDesign Dynamics

New York Magazine, 10/19/09

Public Policy• To meet PlaNYC goals,

work with property owners to control water from its source, and to encourage owners to plant trees and vegetation;

• Tax abatement program to remove concrete;

• Consider zoning reform to reduce rear yard additions, limit community facility encroachments into rear yards;

• Landmarks Law reform and/or enforcement to protect historic viewshedand city plan

So What can YOU do to help?

• Reclaim and Green even small bits of open space to which you have access

• Lobby your Building or your Landlord• Be creative—expansive!• Be inspired—encourage others• Develop an affordable, realizable plan that

meets your building’s needs

Affordable Strategies to Green your Open Space Sustainably

• Rainwater Harvesting—Rain Barrels• Inexpensive timers can be hooked up to hose

bibs• Use drought-tolerant plants• Concentrate more maintenance-heavy planting

in one area• NYC Council on the Environment—

Gardening Fact sheets http://www.cenyc.org/openspace/publications

Affordable Design

Drought-tolerant indigenous plants

Planters (large and small)

Design for your Building’s Needs

•Quiet•Play•Fold Laundry•Exercise•Community Space•Party

Ipe decks over soil

Rain barrels for irrigation

Permeable Pavements

Battery operated irrigation timer

Social Space—Use it! Enjoy it!

NY Times 3/13/08

Catherine Bobenhausen Viridian Energy and Environmental, LLC

Erica Brabon Steven Winter Associates, Inc.

Mary A BrennanThe Community Preservation Corporation

The Women of Green: Financing Green Retrofits•Refinance Debt•Replace/Upgrade Systems•Investigate Energy Waste•Get all government incentives•Get all utility incentives•Make building more profitable•Also safe, durable, comfortable, efficient

February 16, 2010Mary A. BrennanSVP, Head of Field [email protected]

Energy Efficiency in 1980 in NYC…

• 11,000 buildings owned by the City through tax foreclosure or owner abandonment

• Oil increased in price a few hundred percent in five years

• NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development establishes an Office of Energy Conservation

An ad Campaign to teach people how to lower their bills and increase

comfort in their apartments!

Circa 1982

And for the summer!

Circa 1982

HPD Proposed a Prescriptive Energy Code

• All multifamily buildings• Phased installation of cost-effective

measures• All property tax deductable through J-51• Assailed by real estate community as

government telling owners what to do

The Community Preservation Corporation

• Non-profit 501 c(3) Mortgage Finance Company

• Founded in 1974 by NY Clearinghouse Banks

• Funded via consortium of more than 70 banks and insurance companies

• Serving the tri-state region – NY, NJ and CT

CPC Mission – Restoring Urban Communities

• Investment in multifamily and mixed use properties in low and moderate neighborhoods

• Diversify risk for our participating institutions

• Provide an economic platform of investment to spur recovery in distressed communities

• Develop and enhance public/private partnerships

The CPC One-Stop ShopConstruction &

Permanent Financing From

Participating Banks

CreditEnhancement

TechnicalAssistance

Borrower

Public Subsidies& Approvals

CPCCPC

CPC History and Performance

• Since inception more than 136,000 units of low and moderate income housing have been financed

• Combined public and private investment of over $7 billion

• Loan losses of less than 2% since inception

The CPC Green Initiative• Simple

– Access to capital in an illiquid environment– Construction & Permanent Loans for occupied properties

• Sensible– Energy retrofits improve property cash flow & increase value– Comply with pending state & federal legislation

• Sustainable– Extend efficiency and life cycle of building systems– Contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases

Target Markets

• Existing multifamily housing stock throughout New York State

• Occupied cash-flowing rental properties:Must be able to measure energy usage at the beginning so anticipated savings can be measured post retrofit

• Gut rehabs and new construction do not qualify for this program.

How does it work?

1. Standard CPC application required with third party reports

• Appraisal, Engineering, Environmental

2. Standard credit review of borrower and property

3. Energy Audit - Performed by an Energy Expert• Measure current usage – create a building benchmark• Define retrofit work scope• Monitor the retrofit

CPC buildings - Fuel (#2, #4 & #6) Costs Per Sq. Ft.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

$0-0

.50

$0.5

1-1.

00

$1.0

1-1.

50

$1.5

1-2.

00

$2.0

1-2.

50

$2.5

1-3.

00

$3.0

1-3.

50

$3.5

1-4.

00

Out

liers

Cost/Sq. Ft. ($)

avg = $1.88

CPC buildings - Fuel/Gas Costs Per Sq. Ft.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

$0-0

.50

$0.5

1-1.

00

$1.0

1-1.

50

$1.5

1-2.

00

$2.0

1-2.

50

$2.5

1-3.

00

$3.0

1-3.

50

$3.5

1-4.

00

Out

liers

Cost/Sq. Ft. ($)

avg = $1.44

CPC Buildings - Electric (Elevator) Costs Per Sq. Ft.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

$0-.2

0

$.21

-.40

$.41

-.60

$.61

-.80

$.81

-1.0

0

$1.0

1-1.

20

$1.2

1-1.

40

$1.4

1-1.

60

$1.6

1-1.

80

$1.8

1-2.

00

$2.0

1-2.

20

$2.2

1-2.

40

$2.4

1-2.

60

$2.6

1-2.

80

$2.8

1-3.

00

Oul

iers

Cost/Sq. Ft. ($)

avg = $.64

CPC Buildings - Water Meter Costs Per Sq. Ft.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

$0-.2

0

$.21

-.40

$.41

-.60

$.61

-.80

$.81

-1.0

0

$1.0

1-1.

20

$1.2

1-1.

40

$1.4

1-1.

60

$1.6

1-1.

80

$1.8

1-2.

00

$2.0

1-2.

20

$2.2

1-2.

40

$2.4

1-2.

60

$2.6

1-2.

80

$2.8

1-3.

00

Oul

iers

Cost/Sq. Ft. ($)

avg = $.68

What sort of savings (assume 20%)?

• $1.66+ .54 + .58 = $2.78/ft2• 20% savings = 56¢/ft2

For a 100 unit, 100,000/ft2 property:• $560 savings to owner per apt/year• $56,000 in a 100 unit building annually• Estimated to be between 7-10% of total expenses

Freddie Mac Green PILOT Program• Only available through CPC• Enhanced pricing

– 15-30 bps lower for retrofit buildings• Increased Leverage

– Up to 80% Loan to Value on Refinances– Added Leverage Used to fund Retrofit

• Work done post closing via escrow hold back– Typical scope is $3,000 - $5,000 per unit.

CPC Green Initiative• Simple - One Stop Shop

• Sensible - Increase Value and Cash Flow

• Sustainable - Better Buildings, Cleaner Environment

• Thanks for watching 20 slides…….

Annie ChadwickClinton Community Garden

Sharon GriffithNYSERDA

The Women of GreenSharon Griffith

Project ManagerMarketing and Economic Development

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority

"Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it!"

• In the Beginning– Eco Conscious

– Syracuse University

– Graduate School

– Graduation Day – Bill Moyers reality check

• Recession/Oil Embargo

• Energy Conservation

• Federal Study: Correlation between Low Income and energy costs.

• Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)

• No Job Security

• NYS Dept of State, Div. of Economic Opportunity.– CSBG: Community Service Block Grants (shared)

• The TEST is the thing.

• The Value of a College Degree

• Connections to Community Based Organizations – Model Cities

• Personal Experience

• Experience

• On the Job training– Double paned windows and high dense

packed insulation– R value / U value / SIR / SSE – New Diagnostic Technologies

• Luck (Right Place/Right time)

• State’s First Energy Auditor exam.

• Field Rep exam finally developed

• New Director = More technical – Boiler tests, CFL’s, payback,

• Affordable Comfort Conferences

• Tools of the trade

• Hurdles• Benefits• Continual evolution – Building Science

• Building Science hits its stride

• State ethic rules

• Harlem Community Development Corp.– Subsidiary of Empire State Development

• Director of Weatherization

• Management issues (Authorities)

In the interim:

• NYSERDA & the Systems Benefit Charge (SBC)

• New Residential Director Connects to WAP

• NYC office opens

• NYSERDA mission more universal.– Commercial – Residential– Renewables– New technologies: Geothermal/Fuel Cells/

• Multiple Goals– Reduce Energy Use (electricity)– Market Transformation– Increase use of renewables (Solar/Wind)

• Accomplished via– Incentives

– Contractor Training

– Consumer Education

– Technical Support

– Marketing programs

• Marketing – Commercial– Residential– Media spokesperson – New York Energy $mart CommunitiesSM

• Market Transformation

• Economic Development

• EE now in Vogue: Green/Climate Change has been the stimulus

• RGGI Funding – Carbon Credit Sales

• Green Jobs/Green NY - April 2010 - $112m

• Pathways to a State Gov’t job.

• Pathways to a NYSERDA job

• Professional networks

• Professional Organizations

• Certification Groups

NYC office went from 4 to 6 to 17

• BA in Sociology • BA in English Literature • MS in Social Work • Certificate in Business, • Administrative Assistant • BS in Physics • BS in Earth, Atmosphere, and

Planetary Sciences • Energy Management • Master of Urban Planning • MS in City and Regional

Planning • M.S.E. in Environmental

Engineering

• BA in Environmental Studies • BA in English • BA in Psychology • BS in Environmental Science • BA in Physics • BA in Environmental Design and

Architecture • MS in Solid-State Physics • Master’s of Engineering in

Sustainable Energy • BSE in Materials Science and

Engineering • BA in Environmental Studies

• Green Jobs not limited (still confusion)

• Challenge of word burnout

• Experience

• Training

• Proud• Happy• Grateful• Impressed• Scared• Bouyed• Humbled• Willing• Lucky

Energy Efficiency

G R E E N

Maureen MahleSteven Winter Associates, Inc.

Maureen M. Mahle

Green Design and LEED® Certification

My company

My job

women of green

Education

residential space

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urbanopen space

yard space acres68