Washington, DC, May 19, 2006--Green building has officially hit the mainstream. The New York Times Business Section on May 17, 2006 featured a special section on green building that confirmed what USGBC and its members have known for years: green building is good for business.
The article Putting Environmentalism on the Urban Map highlights Battery Park City, which is striving to be the first all-green neighborhood. LEED Certification is a cornerstone of their efforts: in addition to the LEED Gold residential tower The Solaire and Goldman Sachs' new headquarters, also LEED Gold, the City plans to have seven more green residential buildings, three of which are expected to achieve LEED Platinum. Developers used to balk at the idea of building green, but The Solaire is proving that LEED certification is a win for both tenants and owners.
The importance of third-party certification to ensure that green buildings and products perform as promised is the focus of 'Greenwash': A Way to Say 'Hogwash'. USGBC is cited as the standard-bearer for green design and construction, with LEED described as "the most recognized seal of approval."
Finally, the article Architects Are a Lagging Indicator for Sustainable Design explores the need for green building education. Driven in large part by the demand USGBC and LEED have created, architecture schools have greatly increased their focus on green building and sustainability, and efforts to further integrate these principles into university curricula are underway.
