Across the U.S., 77 cities have adopted some type of green building initiative. These iniatives rely on the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program - which promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability - or a similar system.

On average, green buildings reduce energy use by approximately 30 percent, carbon emissions by 35 percent, water use by 30 to 50 percent, and results in waste cost savings of 50 to 90 percent. These environmental and energy savings translate into significant economic benefits, including reduced operating costs, enhanced asset value and higher rents, improved employee productivity and satisfaction, and optimized life-cycle economic performance.

Los Angeles, for example, passed a groundbreaking private sector green building law in April 2008 that would cut the City’s carbon emissions by more than 80,000 tons by 2012 - the equivalent of taking 15,000 cars off the road. This Los Angeles Green Building Ordinance requires all new commercial buildings 50,000 square feet or larger, as well as residential buildings with 50,000 square feet or more of floor space and over 6 stories high, or having 50 or more units, to comply with the LEED “certified” standard. In exchange, the City will work with developers “to speed up approvals and to remove obstacles in the municipal code for elements of sustainable building design, such as green rooftops, cisterns and permeable pavement.”

San Francisco is expected to consider the most far-reaching green building legislation in the United States this month, with an potential 220,000 megawatt hours of energy savings. Proposed by Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Task Force on Green Building, these new green building codes would be phased in over the next four years, with full implementation in 2012. The codes would require all new large commercial buildings (more than 25,000 square feet) as well as large commercial interiors and major alternations over 25,000 square feet to meet LEED’s strict “Gold” criteria by 2012; and residential high-rises over 75 feet to meet LEED “Silver” by 2010.

Numerous other cities across the nation have adopted green building programs, policies, and requirements. On the East coast, Boston requires LEED “Silver” for all city-owned new construction and major renovation projects and LEED Certified for all city supported development projects. In Washington, D.C., the Green Building Act of 2006 requires that all city-owned non-residential buildings 10,000 square feet or more must be designed to achieve 75 points on the Environmental Protection Agency’s national energy performance rating system.

In the Mid-West, Austin boasts country’s oldest green building program, which requires all municipal buildings to meet the LEED silver standard. In Chicago, home to the the country’s first municipal building to achieve a LEED “Platinum” rating, the Chicago Standard to require all new construction and major renovations of public buildings to achieve LEED certification. Last month, Dallas adopted a green construction ordinance aimed at reducing energy and water consumption in all new houses and commercial buildings, which will be implemented in two phases beginning in 2009. Scottsdale was the first city in the U.S. to adopt a LEED Gold policy, requiring all new city buildings of any size and remodels to achieve LEED Gold.

On the West coast, Portland requires all new public projects to achieve LEED Gold certification. Seattle was the first city in the nation to formally adopt a Sustainable Building Policy, which calls for all new City-funded projects and renovations over 5,000 square feet to achieve a LEED “Silver” rating. The city’s Planning and Development Department further provides a number of other incentives and resources to assist green private developers.

As shown above, cities nationwide have readily embraced the green building movement. Not only are cities setting an example by requiring LEED certification for public projects, an increasing number of cities have adopted green building requirements for private commercial and residential projects, a trend which is expected to continue.

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