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Going Green:
Sustainable Development Is Key to Your City's Future
by Wendy Grey, AICP
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Lately, you may have heard or read about “sustainable development” and wondered what it is, and if it is an idea that could help your city. The concept of sustainable development incorporates many ideas, from land-use and environmental planning to the building and construction industries. Sustainable development takes a holistic look at each step of the land-development process and seeks to identify techniques that work in harmony with the environment. The intent of sustainable development is to accommodate growth while preserving the natural world – or some meaningful, functioning piece of it – for the future.
It would be easy if we could simply buy all the land we needed to ensure that future generations could be guaranteed clean air to breathe; clean water to drink; rivers, streams and lakes to fish in; clean soil to grow healthy food for children; and forests, swamps and shorelines full of wildlife. But there simply isn’t enough money to do that. Therefore, preserving the environment has to be about more than just buying land and setting it aside. The old dichotomy between development and conservation is disappearing. Now, development has to become one of the tools for conserving the environment.
That is where the idea of sustainability comes in. We need to accommodate Florida’s growing population. We also need to preserve the environment, protect the public health, and ensure our economic vitality. And we need to consider all of these objectives as equally important. As our lakes and beaches become more polluted, and as smog increases in our metropolitan areas, the public health is threatened, especially among the youngest and oldest residents. In addition, as we lose the beautiful natural areas featured in the tourism publications, we become increasingly likely to lose new residents and visitors to other places. Preserving the environment is not just about protecting the “critters” – it is about real health and economic benefits.
Viewed from this perspective, sustainable development practices that conserve the environment also help protect the public health and the local economy. For example, practices that help reduce energy consumption not only help protect air quality, but also reduce building operating costs. Stormwater runoff that can be retained and treated naturally in a back yard reduces the need for high-cost, high-maintenance stormwater ponds.
You can probably think of a number of things your city is doing right now that help make your city more sustainable. For example, many cities have recycling programs. A growing number of cities around the country are making a major commitment to a broad spectrum of sustainability programs. Here are some of the major components of such a program:
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Making the Right Land-Use Decisions: A basic issue in sustainability is where development is located and how uses are combined. Most cities prohibit development in wetlands, and restrict development in floodplains. These policies protect the natural functions of these places, helping to clean water and reduce flooding, while providing direct benefits to property owners. Other policies, such as encouraging development where government already has placed infrastructure, promoting higher-density development through quality design, and promoting a mix of land uses, also contribute to sustainable development. These policies can slow down the demand to pave new areas, decrease the length of commuting trips, and increase the efficient use of existing infrastructure.
Providing Mobility Choices: Many residents oppose trails or interconnections to their neighborhoods, fearing increased crime or traffic. However, trails have proven to be an amenity to neighborhoods, providing opportunities for exercise and safe access to other neighborhoods. Similarly, well-designed streets that connect neighborhoods give children safe opportunities to visit friends and walk or bike to and from school. If moderate densities (up to about six units per acre) can be achieved, transit can become an option, reducing the reliance on single occupancy vehicles.
Building Greener Buildings: How we build our homes, schools, city halls and commercial buildings can have a big impact on our environment. Think about the large, under-insulated retail “boxes” baking in the sun. Think about rows of new subdivisions, with dark roofs facing due south. How buildings are oriented, shaded and landscaped have a huge impact on the energy demands of those buildings. Sustainable principles also encourage the use of more environmentally friendly materials.
The City of Austin, Texas, has a Green Building Program that has become a national model. The Green Building Program provides a directory of green designers and builders. It also provides fact sheets on topics ranging from controlling sprawl and integrating pest management to building in a hot and humid climate. The city emphasizes education as an important first step in helping people understand the numerous small decisions (e.g., using native plants and building deep porches) that can make a home more environmentally friendly, more energy-efficient, and less costly to maintain. Although the program is voluntary, the creative marketing of the program has made it something people want to be part of. See more about the program at www.ci.austin.tx.us/greenbuilder.
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The City of Seattle, Wash., has a Sustainable Building Program, which is making all city buildings more energy-efficient and reducing their environmental impacts. A second program, funded by Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, is the Built Green™ Incentive Program. This program provides financial assistance to building owners and developers to incorporate sustainable building goals into their projects. See more about this program at www.cityofseattle.net/sustainablebuildings.
A third resource on sustainability is the U.S. Green Building Council. The council has established the LEED (“Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design”) standard. The LEED standard is a national, voluntary standard intended to promote the construction of “green” or sustainable buildings. Buildings nationwide are being built to meet LEED standards as a major marketing tool. See more about this program at www.usgbc.org/leed.
If you are looking for ways to make your city cleaner, safer and more competitive, sustainability is one approach worth looking into.
Wendy Grey, AICP, is a planning and land-use consultant. Previously she was director of the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department for 10 years and worked for the Florida Department of Community Affairs. For the Florida League of Cities, Grey provides educational programs on planning and growth management to League members and analyzes the impact of proposed planning legislation on cities. For more information, she may be contacted via e-mail, or by phone at (850) 566-0155.
Reprinted from Quality Cities May/June 2004
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