reaching for the sky: sustainability impacts of dc building height limits

REACHING FOR THE SKYHow DC’s Building Height Limits

Affect Sustainability

Anupam ChakravartyCCTP-817

Why the 1910 Height Act?

• Related to height of monument and Capitol dome?

Nope.

• Prompted by The Cairo (Dupont Circle)

Why the 1910 Height Act?

• Related to street width:

• Reinforced by zoning & land use laws• Impacted by surrounding structures

90 ft

110 - 130 ft

In Favor of Height Limits

Aesthetic and cultural arguments are restructured into environmental ones

I. DC’s Walkability• Light, airy quality

In Favor of Height Limits

II. Urban Heat Island Effect• Skyscrapers trap heat & sunlight• Blocking natural breezes• Keeping our cool

Potential Impacts• Greater energy expenditure• Detrimental to vegetation growth

In Favor of Height Limits

III. Scaling Back DC’s Growth• Caps the District’s population density

But is this actually better for the environment?

Against Height Limits

I. Curbing the Unsustainable Urban Sprawl• Socioeconomic consequences

(see also: gentrification)• Forcing growth horizontally into ill-equipped areas

Against Height Limits

I. Curbing the Unsustainable Urban Sprawl• Decreasing each person’s carbon footprint

(reliance on cars and roads)

LEED System Credits• Development Density• Community Connectivity

Against Height Limits

I. Curbing the Unsustainable Urban Sprawl• Sprawl puts open spaces and vegetation at risk• Impacts air quality, exacerbates heat trap

Against Height Limits

II. Attracting Architectural Innovation• Combating the urban heat island effect• Integrating renewable energy• Working with US Green Building Council & LEED System directives

Accounting for Delays

• Improvements to electrical grid• Improvements to mass transit• Promoting a mass transit mindset• Protecting DC’s history and culture• Ensnared in federal regulations

Congress… ::groan::

Skyward is the right direction for the District.