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The widespread and rising development of green buildings in greening cities is documented in Local Leaders in Sustainability – Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment, the latest report from the American Institute of Architects (AIA),
For
all the effort and clamor about stopping deforestation – and it’s
certainly important to stop it – deforestation accounts for only 17% of
the world’s GhGs. 40% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions (GhGs) come from
buildings.
The
short answer to global climate change is not something exotic and out
of reach. It’s insulation, weather stripping, efficient windows and
doors, energy-saving appliances and equipment, habits that conserve
heating and cooling energy and electricity, adding solar panels and
small wind and using temperature-moderating geothermal and mass transit
and other obvious innovations.
While the economic downturn has
slowed the growth of the New Energies and the construction industries
because of slowed access to big capital, leaders in the cities of the
nation have turned to Energy Efficiency and distributed small-scale New
Energy like never before because it is so good for the bottom line. The
costs of a green building are greater than those of traditional
construction but a green building easily recoups the costs in its
lifecycle and building green generates, jobs, tax revenues and supply
chain business opportunities.
The ultimate goal of AIA’s
report is to establish guidelines that lead to a way of life in which
the concept of “building green” no longer exists because BEST building
is green building.
COMMENTARY
Statistics
show clearly that the design and construction sectors of the economy
have been hurt badly by the recession. Nevertheless, community leaders
and policy implementers are continuing sustainable design projects.
Construction has suffered “devastating” effecs but sustainable building
design is maintaining, and in some cases improving, market share.
First, some key definitions (as used in the AIA study):
(1)
Green Building Program - Legal or regulatory mamandate or incentive for
the construction of green public, residential, and/or commercial
buildings.
(2) Sustainability - Meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
(3)
Sustainable Design - One that includes (a) avoiding the depletion of
energy, water, and raw material resources, (b) preventing environmental
degradation caused by facility and infrastructure development and (c)
creating livable, comfortable, and safe environments that facilitate
productivity.
(4) Green - A sub-set of sustainability focused on the
lifecycle environmental impacts of materials, as in “Reduce, Recycle,
Reuse.”
(5) Life Cycle Analysis - Assessment of the total
environmental impact and business costs/benefits, from raw materials
through manufacturing, packaging, shipping, installation and
performance, to the final resource recovery.
(6) The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system - LEED was created by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC),
uses life cylce analysis of the design, construction, and operation of
high-performance green buildings to certify their level of
sustainability.
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Major findings of the AIA study:
(1)
There are 138 cities of over 50,000 people with green building
programs, better than 1 in 5. That is 50% more (46) than at the time of
the last (2007) AIA study.
(2) Over 53 million people live in U.S.
cities with green building programs and 24 of the 25 most populous U.S.
metro regions have a green building policy.
(3) 21% of surveyed
cities have a green building program. The 2007 survey found such
programs in only 14% of the surveyed cities. If cities under 50,000
were included, the authors believe the 21% figure would be higher.
(4) Regional distribution of green building programs:
(a) Green building is everywhere;
(b) The western region has the most green building programs (56 cities in 6 states, 41% of all green building programs);
(c)
The mountain region ranks second, with 24% of U.S. green building
programs and 24% of the U.S. population that have green building
programs;
(d) The eastern U.S. has 75% more cities (49) such programs than it had in 2007;
(e) The central U.S. only has 21 green building programs but the AIA study found growth and innovation even in that region.
(f)
The survey found that across the country cities have virtually
unanimously refrained from cutting back on their green building
programs in the face of the economic downturn but are, instead,
integrating green building policies into their economic recovery and
development plans.
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The
goal of a green building program is to provide the opportunity in each
unique community to create livable, sustainable lifestyles. The
uniqueness of the programs is demonstrated by the report’s case
studies, which show examples of diverse, holistic green community
trends and practices in:
(1) Los Angeles;
(2) Boston;
(3) Grand Rapids, Mich.;
(4) Philadelphia; and
(5) Nashville.
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These
case studies also show how city leaders are keeping their innovative
programs going in hard economic times, in pursuit of green jobs and
success in the budding New Energy economy.
The AIA study finds
little doubt the U.S. Department of Energy’s $3.2 billion Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Funding, part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) directed specifically at
localities, has helped to sustain the momentum of green building. But
the fundamental impulse, according to AIA, comes from the simple fact
that green building makes good sense.
The AIA study makes 10
broad recommendations for policymakers and community leaders, 6 of
which were part of previous AIA reports and continue to be applicable
and 4 of which are based on findings in the new study:
(1) Green
building programs should be inclusive, bringing in the design and
construction communities and aiming to create universally applicable
green buildings standards.
(2) Architects should be regarded as a valuable resource.
(3)
A Director of Sustainability within the Office of the Mayor is a wise
expense for a community developing a green building program because
someone is needed to coordinate multiple facets and move the process.
(4)
Training and rating municipal employees in green building issues from
the initial review to the occupancy permit creates expertise and
facilitates excellent programs.
(5) Simplicity and consistency are
vital to the success of a green building program, though politics might
dictate more complexity.
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(6)
Adding green zoning, green city planning, green city purchasing, hybrid
vehicle fleets and streamlined solar permitting to the green building
program adds to its momentum, popularity and acceptance.
(7) Green
jobs programs and green business certification programs do the same and
add players to the building program. (The relationship between green
building programs and the development of green businesses is elaborated
on in the “cities/trends” section of the report.)
(8) Cities should
expand their programs to the metropolitan region because competition
between a region’s municipalities leads to policy innovation and better
programs. It also grows the programs up to the regional scale and
involves the broader design and construction communities and the
general public.
(9) Remove outdated legal obstacles, streamline
zoning, update codes and allow for mixed-use development, greywater
systems and new types of construction.
(10) The greatest effect of a green building comes when it becomes part of a green community.
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How city leaders see green, sustainable:
(1) As an investment in a healthier and environmentally friendly community of the future;
(2) As an opportunity to create green collar jobs locally;
(3) As a means of cutting local energy and water consumption and expense; and
(4) As a way to build better buildings and more livable, appealing communities.
The
growth of green buildings programs between the time of the 2007 study
and this 2009 study indicates the moment is ripe and U.S. city leaders
are already leading the transition. The excuse that green building it
too expensive is no longer applicable, freeing citizens and community
leaders to imagine a better way.
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Advantages of green buildings in urban areas:
(1) They reinforce the natural efficiency of high-density walkable and mass transit-friendly neighborhoods;
(2)
They incline city-planners to include nature into buildings in the form
of natural lighting, green, living roofs and other natural features
instead of relegating it to parks and suburbs.
Advantages of green buildings in suburban areas:
(1) Stimulates planning toward mass transit-oriented and smart-growth thinking that includes walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods;
(2) Stimulates creative people in the design and construction sectors to think in terms of Energy Efficiency.
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Going
forward, cities should strengthen existing green building programs and
set higher targets for greenhouse gas emissions. This will be
facilitated by building rating systems based on “greenness” that lead
to neighborhood designs that augment and enhance “greenness.”
Examples of such rating systems include:
(1) The STAR Community Index (ICLEI), a consensus-based measurement and rating instrument that evaluates livability and sustainability.
(2) The International Green Construction Code from the International Code Council, the first-of-a-kind code framework for commercial buildings, will be a major step toward zero-emissions buildings.
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City
leaders all over the country have promulgated and protected green
building programs because all over they country they see the same
thing: That green building programs are a key element in the hope that
comes when citizens make a commitment to the nation’s New Energy and
Energy Efficiency future.
City leaders are learning that their
own ambitions benefit when they lead their cities’ citizens into the
benefits of the New Energy economy and the transformation that will
redeem the world from the ravages of global climate change, one
building, one neighborhood, one community, one city, one region and,
ultimately, one country at a time.
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As
the nation, through its buildings and neighborhoods and communities and
cities, takes on this challenge, the knowledge, resources, and ability
to transform the world grows. Buildings, which are the biggest source
of climate change-inducing emissions, will become the means of turning
the tide and spawning the New Energy century.
Perhaps the most
important single observation in the report is that its goal – to
eliminate the concept of “green building” by advocating for policies
that turn it into “best building” – is in the process of rapidly
becoming a reality.
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QUOTES
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From the report’s conclusion: “Over the past two years green building
has continued to thrive, and we foresee that this effort will only
continue to grow, particularly as communities integrate sustainable
practices into economic development goals. Architects will influence
the future built environment, and by pushing for green buildings, there
is an opportunity to design healthy, environmentally sound buildings,
which will better serve citizens of America and the world.”
- From
the report’s recommendations: “…Green buildings do not exist in a
vacuum. In order to truly curb carbon emissions and preserve open
spaces and create livable communities, sustainability efforts must
incorporate the whole built environment…Ultimately, green building
practices are a piece in the larger puzzle that is a green community…”
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From the report’s recommendations: “…when one city chooses to push
ahead and lead on green building locally, a cascading effect tends to
happen where the other surrounding communities also want to achieve
better results. This leads to a virtuous cycle of improving and
strengthened green building standards…”
- From the report’s recommendations: “…The future is green, and cities that are on
the leading edge can capitalize on innovative policies and incubate new businesses in the clean technology industry…”
-
From the report: “One of the most important observations to be gained
from this research is that an effective policy is one that encourages
private developers to consider sustainable features and explore the
cost-effectiveness of efficient design as a matter of course…[in] the
entire streetscape, leading to more vibrant and livable
communities…[T]he future looks bright for sustainable design. The
ultimate goal is for the concept of “building green” to no longer
exist, and instead have green design integrated into all buildings.
This day is soon approaching, and the AIA is advocating for policies to
make this green future a reality.”
posted by Herman K. Trabish
New AIA study reports "green" buildings are on the rise
November 20, 2009 (San Francisco Examiner)
