Did you know that cities can improve the efficiency of their energy, transportation, and utilities services; reduce consumption, waste, and other costs; and enhance the quality of life of their residents with one single premise?

It’s true.

US cities that incorporate information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve citizen well-being, enhance sustainability, and boost economic development can become designated smart cities.

Here are a few ways that smart cities will evolve in 2019:

Gamification

AT&T, one of the largest telcos in the US, is no stranger to smart technology and its President of IoT Solutions, Chris Penrose, is already predicting the changes ahead. He estimates that network technology will engage people like never before, encouraging them to become more responsible citizens. By paying their utility bills on time, making an effort to recycle, and using public transportation, individuals could earn ‘points’ to redeem for discounts or event passes. Through gamification, the entire city can benefit and improve the quality of life of all of its residents.

5G Implementation

Now that our lives are becoming increasingly connected, from our phones to our homes and soon our cars too, we have more data than ever. In order to share it, though, we need more bandwidth and the technology to make it happen. That’s where 5G comes in, according to Verizon. With it, cities will see improvements in public safety, transit, utilities, public Wi-Fi, and emergency preparedness. Who knew 5G could improve our morning commutes?

Energy Efficient Buildings

It’s no surprise that smart cities would host energy efficient buildings, and changes in technology and construction techniques are making it easier than ever to build them. Eco-friendly HVAC systems, efficient lighting, and improved insulation are all trends that are paving the way for smart cities in 2019.We can’t wait to see how smart cities help us reduce our carbon footprint and work towards net-zero energy buildings in 2019.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard-working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA online or at (877) 810-7473.

As our population grows, our cities rise to meet the growing needs of more and more people. Cities need urban planning and construction services to grow, which in turn creates jobs in those fields. What’s more, a well-designed city provides access to amenities, housing, and transport which in turn provide opportunities for those living there.

City Growth and Housing

With an ever-growing population, there is always a need for housing. The National Association of Home Builders estimates that building a single-family home generates 2.97 full-time jobs, especially for construction workers. However, houses can’t just go up wherever people please; in order to create cohesive neighborhoods and communities, urban planners are required. A diversified housing approach is ideal to create opportunities for lower, median, and high-income families alike, and housing that provides proximity to workplaces should be considered.

Transportation

The infrastructure of a city is directly related to its accessibility. Transportation is a valuable asset, and investing in urban planning and construction of transportation assets not only creates jobs, but also improves people’s access to jobs and opportunities within the city. Investing in roads, bridges, and other public works is a cost-effective way to create jobs: according to the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, one billion dollars spent on public works created 19,975 jobs.

Planning for the Future

The world is changing, and we have to be ready to change with it. Around the world, urban planning and construction will have to plan for changes related to climate change, severe weather, and the rapid urbanization of the planet. As people move and cities expand, cities will need to accommodate and provide access to the amenities that they need, including (but not limited to) jobs, transit, schools, and retail. Cities are expanding and changing in response to the need for greener infrastructure and a growing population, and these needs create job opportunities for people in many fields.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA online or at (877) 810-7473.

Infrastructure

It’s a word plastered all over the news lately. From dilapidated roads to crumbling bridges, infrastructure –  or the fundamental, underlying facilities our cities and towns rely on to help them function – are in desperate need of repair, upgrade, or replacement.

But, just what does infrastructure refer to anyway? Actually, it refers to a great number of things we take for granted (or overlook) on a daily basis. Examples include…

• Clean water supply: treatment, pumping, and distribution (along with sewage treatment)
• Police & Fire departments / Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Electricity generation (power plants) and transmission lines
• Telephone, cable, and fiber optic systems
• Bridges, roadways, tunnels, levees and dams
• Railways / airports / seaports
• Mass transit systems
• Hospitals
• Libraries

Consider a time when you’ve been inconvenienced by something like an emergency bridge repair in your own neighborhood… Indeed, the state of our nation’s infrastructure is a topic we can’t afford to ignore any longer.

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans.

To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

Welcoming an Art Museum With Broad Appeal

The Broad Museum will add to LA’s vibrant Cultural District.

Designing a building that will serve as the centerpiece for one’s legacy means striving to capture the essence of the individual while ensuring the structure stands out amongst its peers. Within Los Angeles’ thriving Cultural District, regional philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad are doing just that. The newly-opened 120,000 sq. ft. LEED Gold-certified contemporary art museum that bears their surname joins other iconic structures such as the neighboring Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The Broad features an underlying design theme known as “veil-and-vault.” A honeycomb exterior “veil” provides ample daylight in which to showcase numerous artworks from their impressive collection, while the “vault” refers to a darkened core, suitable for protecting sensitive & archival works. Among its most interesting architectural details can be found on the roof; featuring 318 skylights, they all face north in order to protect artwork from damaging sunlight… That’s intelligent design with a Broad appeal!

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

The Los Angeles City Hall… Strengthening the Heart of a City

Los Angeles Environmentally-responsible Construction Projects

Designed by prominent architects Austin, Parkinson, and Martin, the stunning LA City Hall proudly stood as the city’s tallest building for almost 40 years. Incorporating a mix of many design languages, including classical and Art Deco, this 454’ tall icon attracts visitors from around the world who come to admire its fantastic architectural details as well as revel in LA’s skyline from its observation deck.

To help ensure Los Angeles City Hall stands strong and tall for decades to come, the structure underwent a restoration from 1998 until 2001 that featured seismic retrofits meant to keep the building not only intact, but functional, even after a magnitude 8.2 earthquake. This project, undertaken by the world-renowned structural engineering firm, Nabih Youssef Associates, utilized a hybridized system of proven earthquake-resistant technologies including: seismic isolation bearings, viscous dampers, and shear walls to make City Hall stronger than ever!

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

Age-friendly communities can help an ageing population live easier and more confidently

Human population experts predict that by 2050, approximately 22% of the global population will be at least 60 years old. In response to this, a new initiative being introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO), and supported in the U.S. by the AARP, is helping certain communities around the world (and right here at home) become age-friendly communities… As a matter of fact, the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County joined the AARP’s list in May of 2016!

Age-friendly communities provide residents of all ages with safe, accessible road and transportation networks, barrier-free access to buildings and houses, and improvements to parks and other types of recreational facilities. In particular, these accommodations enable older citizens to maintain their independence for longer periods of time, thereby benefitting their social, emotional, and physical health. This is accomplished through the modification or redevelopment of existing natural and man-made environments within the community.

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans.

To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

World-renowned architect Frank Gehry has established an impressive portfolio of highly acclaimed buildings throughout his long and illustrious career. Although he has designed structures that proudly stand throughout the world, some of his standouts exist right here in California, including the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Lillian Disney, widow of Walt Disney, donated $50 million in 1987 to help initialize her vision of honoring the unique climate, culture, and spirit of Los Angeles and its citizens. In addition to showcasing his contemporary design style, it was requested of Gehry that the venue feature the best acoustics in the world, which it achieved thanks to the efforts of Yasuhisa Toyota. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is considered an architectural masterpiece and the newest addition to The Music Center’s four venues. It opened on October 24, 2003, and is the permanent home of both the Los Angeles Philharmonic & the Los Angeles Master Chorale.

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans.

To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

Dodger Stadium… Bringing Baseball to Angelenos Since 1962

The moving of the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles for the 1958 season signaled a new chapter in professional baseball as cities on the west coast were establishing franchises of their own. While the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers the first few years, a magnificent new stadium designed by architect Emil Praeger was being constructed in the rugged Elysian Hills.

One can imagine the excitement in the air local residents felt when the groundbreaking ceremony took place on September 19, 1959. However, constructing the stadium was not without its challenges. The topography of the area presented unique challenges that were overcome only by the grit and determination of the almost 400 workers from Vinnell Constructors. Tasked at bringing baseball to the City of Angels, these hardworking individuals battled geographical obstacles to create a structure beautifully integrated into the natural terrain. On April 10, 1962, Dodger Stadium hosted its first game to the delight of 52,564 fans… Unfortunately, the Dodgers lost to the Cincinnati Reds 6-3.

As much as we love and enjoy America’s pastime, the Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) especially loves and supports the many environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

The earthquake, however, must be to every one a most impressive event: the earth, considered from our earliest childhood as the type of solidity, has oscillated like a thin crust beneath our feet; and in seeing the labored works of man in a moment overthrown, we feel the insignificance of his boasted power. – Charles Darwin

Humanity’s efforts have been damaged or destroyed by earthquakes for as long as we have been building structures. However, ingenuity and determination (along with a lot of science & math) have helped modern societies develop earthquake-resistant structures. Two primary goals when designing such structures is to minimize the loss of life (by preventing collapse) and minimizing the loss of functionality within the building.

The techniques applied to the earthquake-resistant design of a structure can vary greatly and can include:

• Using bendable/lightweight materials
• Structural dampers (shock absorbers)
• Base isolators (via bearings or cushions)
• Shear walls (braced panels that counter lateral loads)

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

CREED LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.

Stormwater Management Projects

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s immortal song has had its meaning interpreted a number of different ways over the years, but it can be said with great certainty that they weren’t singing about stormwater management projects!

Stormwater refers to water which flows into drains from a myriad of surfaces such as roadways and parking lots as a result of storms. Unlike the water from toilets and sinks within our homes and businesses, stormwater is not treated at a wastewater treatment facility. Instead, this water flows directly into local waterways whereby pollutants of any form – including pesticides, fertilizers, and oils – enter them completely unabated.

As a result, engineering firms and construction companies have undertaken the task of creating stormwater management projects meant to absorb, contain, and filter this water rather than have it do harm. Examples include retention basins and detention ponds, both of which allow stormwater to slowly absorb into the ground, filtering pollutants in the process.

The Coalition for Responsible Equitable Economic Development (CREED LA) proudly supports environmentally-responsible construction projects throughout Los Angeles that not only have a positive impact on the local community, but support LA’s working families as well.

Creed LA fights to ensure that developers pay fair wages to all the hard working construction professionals throughout the industry while simultaneously providing them with quality health care, continued training, and trustworthy retirement plans. To learn more about how our non-profit organization supports those building a better, greener world for us all, contact CREED LA at (877) 810-7473.