GREEN ECONOMICS

More Western Cities Adopt Sustainable Development Practices

By Headwaters News, 6-08-06

Call it a trend, a movement or a monumental shift, but so-named sustainable development is becoming a part of everyday business in many Western cities. The reasons for the move to greener, cleaner building span from improved technology and more mainstream acceptance to higher energy costs and concerns about global warming.

Last week, the Santa Fe City Council passed a resolution to eliminate fossil-fuel power from all city buildings by 2030, in accordance with the ideas from a nonprofit in town called Architecture 2030. Santa Fe is the first city in the nation to adopt the resolution, which was adopted in an expanded form earlier this week in Las Vegas by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

According to 2030’s Web site, targets include "That all new buildings and developments be designed to use 1/2 the fossil fuel energy they would typically consume (1/2 the country average for that building type). And that, at a minimum, an equal amount of existing buildings in the area be renovated annually to use 1/2 the amount of fossil fuel energy they are currently consuming (through design, purchase of renewable energy and/or the application of renewable technologies)."

As well, targets include that the fossil fuel reduction standard for all new buildings be increased to: 60% in 2010; 70% in 2015; 80% in 2020; 90% in 2025; and carbon-neutral by 2030.

Though the resolution in Santa Fe isn’t binding by law and doesn’t apply to private developments, Mayor David Coss said he would push for new codes that require the standards for new city buildings and City Councilor Chris Calvert said he would recommend changes to city constructions codes that would provide incentives for water and energy conservation.

In Missoula, Mont., one nonprofit that specializes in affordable, sustainable housing, is organizing a bicycle tour of 15 locations around the city built with energy efficiency materials and design techniques and mindful of environmental and health concerns — and built at an affordable price.

HomeWORD stresses that sustainable building doesn’t always have to be for those with lots of extra green, that it can be done in a lower cost way. The Missoulain article offers a look at one such house in town that is built using almost all materials found within the area — which has become a business in and of itself— including a grass roof that helps store heat in winter and cool air in the summer.

As sustainable development starts playing a larger role in the sprawl, infill and development debates around the country, it will be interesting to see how much change happens on the public policy front, and how much happens in the private sector.

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