AIA Study: Counties Moving Toward Green Building

Washington, DC, July 11, 2008--Since 2003 the number of counties with green building programs has risen from eight to 39 for an increase of 487.5 percent, according to the American Institute of Architects.

In an effort to examine the eco-friendly initiatives of U.S. counties, the AIA commissioned a study – Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties – of the 200 most populous counties in 2008 representing 168,864,538 Americans, or a little more than half of the country.

Key findings:

• 39 counties have a green building program, or at least 19.5 percent of all sample counties

• At least 42,949,498 people, or 25.6 percent of the sample population, live in counties with green building programs

• An additional nine counties indicated that they are in a more advanced stage of developing green building programs, forecasting a future of increased green activity

• The Eastern Region has the most green building programs at 19, covering approximately 19 million people

• The Central Region has 7 programs, with approximately 9 million people living in those counties with green building programs

• The Mountain Region was a smaller portion of the sample, with only 3 programs; over 2 million people live in these counties

• The Western Region rounded out the survey with 10 green building programs and almost 13 million affected citizens

The report also includes a case study section in order to reflect the best practices and diversity of sustainability policy. Many of these programs have also been established for a number of years, providing the opportunity to see what works well and make adjustments as needed.

Recommendations:

• Build a broad coalition that includes architects, builders, planners and design & construction professionals to be part of policy proposals

• Hire a full-time director of sustainability to coordinate efforts between departments, assist with long-term plans, recommend new policies and avoid failures in communication

• Train and accredit county employees in whatever rating system the community plans to use

• Work with regional governments to avoid patchwork and independent programs

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