Urban planning experts aid first US city decarbonizing all buildings

The city of Ithaca, N.Y., is moving ahead with an ambitious plan to decarbonize and electrify all buildings — part of an effort to be carbon neutral by 2030. It’s the first project of its kind in the nation, and will mean widespread installation of technology ranging from solar panels to electric induction cooktops.

Urban planning researchers from Cornell University, located in Ithaca, are working with the city by modeling how retrofitting measures and climate change impact the community’s carbon footprint, and by recommending which buildings to prioritize as the project gets underway.

Researchers involved include:

Felix Heisel, an architect and professor focused on the systematic redesign of the built environment. Heisel is also director of the Circular Construction Lab and is a faculty fellow at the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

Timur Dogan, an energy modeling expert, professor and director of the Environmental Systems Lab. Dogan works with architects and urban designers to optimize their design proposals regarding energy demand and supply, comfort, and livability. Dogan is also a faculty fellow with the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

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