Today, 3 Canadian mayors, alongside 16 mayors from around the world, representing 130 million urban citizens, committed to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from their cities by ensuring that new buildings operate at net zero carbon by 2030 [...] Buildings in urban areas are one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and typically account for over half of a total city’s emissions on average. I — canadianarchitect.com

On a small and skinny lot wedged behind its historic city hall, Santa Monica is trying to accomplish something that has never been done before in California. By 2020, the city hopes to construct a 50,000-square-foot city services building that will meet the requirements of the International Living Future Institute’s “Living Building Challenge” — the most stringent environmental building standard in the world. — latimes.com

“Right now (the industry is) setting targets of 30 to 40 per cent reduction in energy savings from the current business as usual. I think that’s just not enough. I am for net zero,” he says. [...]

“The time scale between what we know can be done and should be done, and when the technology and processes become the norm, needs to be shortened. Currently it takes about 10 to 15 years.” — eco-business.com

Masdar City, when it was first conceived a decade ago, was intended to revolutionise thinking about cities and the built environment.

Now the world’s first planned sustainable city – the marquee project of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) plan to diversify the economy from fossil fuels - could well be the world’s first green ghost town.

As of this year [...] managers have given up on the original goal of building the world’s first planned zero-carbon city. — theguardian.com

"Prime Cut" by Swiss firm Rutz Architekten won a Merit Award in the 2013 Architecture at Zero competition we just featured. Student and professional entrants were required to design a zero-net energy, mixed use, affordable residential building for the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, CA. — bustler.net

The winners have been revealed for the Architecture at Zero 2013 competition. Architecture, engineering, and planning students and professionals worldwide were invited to submit their designs of a zero-net energy, mixed-use, and affordable residential building for the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco, CA. — bustler.net

Yesterday, on Earth Day, Seattle's latest green building celebrated its grand opening: The Bullitt Center, a super-efficient office space at 1501 East Madison Street, was designed to become the world’s largest functioning, commercial Living Building, using an estimated 83 percent less energy than a typical Seattle office building and achieving Net Zero Energy and Net Zero Water. — bustler.net

Philadelphia just gave the go-ahead for a large mixed-use multi-family housing project that is urban friendly and energy frugal. Conceived by design/build group Onion Flats "The Ridge’ will be the largest Passive House project in the region...Vegetated roofs and greenscape will frame the plentiful public spaces within, encouraging community interaction. — Inhabitat