CD NOTES / Pause Scenario

1. NYC Launches Circular Construction Hub

   New York City unveils its first-ever circular construction hub today called MADE at Bush Terminal. It has been enabled via NYC EDC funding and is explicitly part of the city’s goal to shift the material supply chain for the built environment. Love to see the Pause scenario becoming real, bit by bit.

   “Construction and demolition debris accounts for 40% of the City’s total waste generation and represents a major stream of carbon emissions and economic value that can be recaptured and reused,” said NYCEDC’s Interim President and CEO Jeanny Pak. “Cities have a responsibility to create the conditions for innovation to succeed, and by partnering with Our Temenos through this pilot, NYCEDC is helping de-risk new approaches to material reuse and generating the real-world data needed to understand how circular construction can shape the future of building in New York City.”

   Also happy to see Chain Drain informant Sydney Mainster recognized in the press release for her great work on glass recycling in commercial construction! *BB-9/2/26

2. What If We Never Built Another New Building?

   Great example of the Pause scenario today from Reasons to be Cheerful: If [architect Barbara Buser] were in charge, “I would stop every project,” she says emphatically, “then review them all through the lens of sustainability. If a project cannot meet strict carbon targets, it shouldn’t be built.” Instead of measuring success in Swiss francs, she argues, “the currency should be CO2.” There’s a new film about her work coming soon. *GL-8/24/26