Amsterdam-based urbanism and architecture research firm Marco.Broekman has revealed plans for a car-free neighborhood in Utrecht, Netherlands. Named Merwede, the 12,000-person neighborhood will feature 6,000 residential units, as well as public spaces, courtyards, and rooftops with an emphasis on green space. "Merwede contains over 200 buildings in total," the firm writes in a project description. "Merwede includes a diversity of environments from quiet residential areas to busier meeting places and is the culmination of a series of city blocks that are composed of multiple buildings varying in both width and height." With restricted vehicle access, Merwede will offer pedestrian and bicycle routes for residents. [Marco.Broekman]
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has announced its list of Top 10 States for LEED green building, with Colorado taking the top spot with 102 LEED-certified projects, which averages to 4.76 square feet per Colorado resident. [ARCHITECT]
San Francisco–based startup Punch List has secured a $4 million round of seed funding, according to a Crunch Base article. Punch List is a mobile application that aims to help independent contractors and homeowners in the remodeling process by generating invoices, tracking tasks, and facilitating communication. Punch List is free for homeowners and costs $49 per project, per month for remodelers. [Crunch Base]
Blaine Brownell, AIA, assesses the latest book by University of Maryland assistant professor Ming Hu, in which she details the various meanings of net-zero construction and offers a resolution for a more universal understanding. [ARCHITECT]
Ten teams of students and researchers seeking to launch innovative solutions to issues related to housing, design, transportation, and more have been selected as the 2020 cohort of MITdesignX, the entrepreneurship accelerator of MIT’s School of Architecture and Planning. As members of the accelerator program, the winners receive dedicated workspace, external mentorship, $15,000 in equity-free seed funding, and enrollment in two courses on developing design-based ventures. [MIT]
Also from Blaine Brownell, here are eight of the most carbon-friendly products for roofing, cladding, insulation, and other categories—all of which are available for specification, or soon to be. [ARCHITECT]
Steel, concrete, or wood: Which structural material represents the most environmentally responsible choice? Gideon Fink Shapiro investigates in this article from ARCHITECT's January issue dedicated to achieving zero-net-carbon design. [ARCHITECT]
Also from ARCHITECT's January issue, Light Earth Designs, Payette, McLennan Design, Co Adaptive Architecture, and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill showcase detail drawings to reduce their projects' embodied and operational carbon. [ARCHITECT]
