LEED Standards: A certification program devised in 1994 by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC; founded 1993) to encourage sustainable practices design and development by means of tools and criteria for performance measurement. It is “a voluntary, consensus-based, market-driven building rating system based on existing proven technology.” The USGBC has established standards for new construction and major renovation as well as existing structures; their standards can be applied to core and shell and to commercial interiors—i.e., the core and shell alone can be certified with no requirement that the interior be so certified. Many building types—schools, offices, retail, health care facilities, and private residences—have been addressed, and standards for neighbourhood development are also in progress.
The five critical areas of focus, as laid out by the USGBC, are “sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.”
- Sustainable site development involves, whenever possible, the reuse of existing buildings and the preservation of the surrounding environment. The incorporation of earth shelters, roof gardens, and extensive planting throughout and around buildings is encouraged.
- Water is conserved by a variety of means including the cleaning and recycling of gray (previously used) water and the installation of building-by-building catchments for rainwater. Water usage and supplies are monitored.
- Energy efficiency can be increased in a variety of ways, for example, by orienting buildings to take full advantage of seasonal changes in the sun’s position and by the use of diversified and regionally appropriate energy sources, which may—depending on geographic location—include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, water, or natural gas.
- The most desirable materials are those that are recycled or renewable and those that require the least energy to manufacture. They ideally are locally sourced and free from harmful chemicals. They are made of nonpolluting raw ingredients and are durable and recyclable.
- Indoor environmental quality addresses the issues that influence how the individual feels in a space and involves such features as the sense of control over personal space, ventilation, temperature control, and the use of materials that do not emit toxic gases.
Peak Oil: The point in time when the global production of oil will reach its maximum rate, after which production will gradually decline.
Urban Infill: As new development that is sited on vacant or undeveloped land within an existing community, and that is enclosed by other types of development. The term "urban infill" itself implies that existing land is mostly built-out and what is being built is in effect "filling in" the gaps. The term most commonly refers to building single-family homes in existing neighborhoods but may also be used to describe new development in commercial, office or mixed-use areas.
With the defined terms listed above, we may begin again to discuss the idea of sustainable community development. A great example of this is in Denver, Colorado, in an area known as Stapleton. In 1989 Denver established the site of its new airport, now known as DIA, and at the same time began making plans for what to do with the urban infill land that the old Stapleton airport occupied. After much debate and public input it was decided, Stapleton would become the site of the newest and most advanced sustainable community development project. So in 1995 Denver began the development of Stapleton with the mindset of sustainability towards all aspects, environmental, economical, and equitable. This became a huge success with Stapleton becoming a land mark for the city of Denver as what is possible towards reducing our impact. Some notable attributes include, 80 percent of the children walk to school, 6 million tons of runway concrete has been recycled from the old Stapleton airport, and there is a 93 percent voluntary recycling rate among residents. All these attributes of the community of Stapleton are what all communities around the world should strive for, because based on recent research, these kinds of community developments provide actual happiness and enjoyment, and who doesn’t want that?
Now consider your own community, and their current initiatives towards reducing the overall impact of the community. Hopefully you are able to live in a community were this is possible, and basic survival tactics are a thing of the past... sorry most of the rest of the world. Personally, when I think about my community and the initiatives taken by them, I believe they are on to something. I live in a small, but popular, ski town called Breckenridge up in the central mountains of Colorado. Currently the Town of Breckenridge (TOB) has taken many initiatives towards reducing their footprint. First, their mission states that the Town of Breckenridge protects, maintains, and enhances their sense of community, historical heritage, and alpine environment. They also provide leadership and encourage citizen involvement. Now all of TOB’s community development plans stem from the mission and the subsequent values, which creates an environment of true understanding. Some initiatives taken by the Town include, renewable energy investments, community involvement in banning single-use plastic bags, the conservation and preservation of open space land, and the overall sustainable community development through the promotion of LEED certified buildings and the goal of development over growth. Now the Town has their problems, just like any town or city, but if the Town of Breckenridge is able to continue uninfluenced by agendas, then I do believe they will be the leaders of sustainable community development in our high-alpine environment.
The response towards all this “sustainability” business has been only positive, as the great mind of R. Buckminster Fuller expressed, when you develop a system that is more logical, more sustainable, and requires little adjustments, then the population immediately affected will naturally adapt to the new, and improved system, leaving no trace to the old ways of doing things. With this understanding we can find reasoning as to why it is imperative that sustainable community development exists if our society demands to evolve, because we cannot continue to view our species, homo sapiens, as static, when nature is dynamic in its own respect.
Thank you for your interest.
*I have no connection in promoting the Town of Breckenridge or the City of Denver, they were simply examples that portrayed the information adequately.
Onward,
Hayden
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