Washington D.C. has built the most "green" buildings within its greater region, according to a new survey.
The new report to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments shows how the District has exceeded in green building -- largely in accordance with a 2006 bill known as the Green Building Act, which requires buildings to pollute less.
"Between 2003 and 2009, the Washington region added about 23 million square feet of LEED-certified green building space through new construction and conversion of existing space. The District led the way, with 72 projects that earned LEED certification, followed by Northern Virginia with 59 projects and Maryland with 40. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification rates buildings based on how well they meet certain green standards for construction and operation.
'We have focused on making the region a national leader in green building,' said Andrea Harrison, chairwoman of the COG board."
FULL STORY: D.C. among ‘greenest’ for buildings
Washington, D.C. Leads the Nation in Green Roofs
The nation's capital has more square feet of green roofs than any other city in the country.
How Zoning Affects Greenhouse Gas Emissions
As the urgency of the climate crisis increases, a paper in the Notre Dame Law Review argues that increased density is not a universally effective strategy to reduce emissions and that different strategies are needed for low-carbon places versus high-carbon ones.
D.C. Revamps its Vision Zero Plan to Eliminate Traffic Fatalities
Washington, D.C. was an early adopter of Vision Zero in the United States, but eventually it became emblematic of the country's lack of progress in reducing traffic collisions.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024
Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.
Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data
The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.
Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research