The LEED green building rating system doesn't acknowledge lumber from the state of Georgia as sustainable, so one state lawmaker suggests throwing out LEED altogether. Critics call it throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
"Georgia lawmakers are considering a bill that would effectively ban state buildings from being certified by LEED," reports Molly Samuel.
The logic that supports the bill is surprising: "Rep. Mike Cheokas, R-Americus, is concerned because most lumber from Georgia isn’t considered sustainable by LEED. So he’s proposing that all state buildings – including those on university campuses – can only use green building standards that do consider Georgia lumber to be sustainable." Cheokas is quoted in the story defending the bill as a Georgia jobs bill. The article discusses the implications of the law for universities in particular.
FULL STORY: Georgia May Ban Green Certification For State Buildings
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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
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research