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Green development

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Green development is a real estate development concept that carefully considers social and environmental impacts of development. [1] However, it requires a multi-faceted definition because it can manifest itself through various different ways. [2] For example, some projects may show more discernable signs of green development than others, (solar panels are more visibly “green” than the use of local materials). [3] Nevertheless, green development is based on solution multipliers: features of a project that provide additional benefits, which ultimately reduce the projects’ environmental impacts. [4] More specifically, green development can be defined by three sub-categories: environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency, and community and cultural sensitivity. [5]Environmental responsiveness simply respects the intrinsic value of nature, and minimizes damage to an ecosystem. Environmental efficiency refers to the use of fewer resources to conserve energy and the environment. [6]Community and cultural sensitivity is the component that deviates from concrete environmental elements. It recognizes the unique cultural values that each community hosts, and carefully considers them in real estate development. [7]

The above green development concepts have been derived from the all-inclusive tome released by The Rocky Mountain Institute, entitled Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. [8]

History

Green development emerged as a result of the environmental movement in the 1970’s. [9] Green development in real estate however, had its infancy in 1897 with a report from the World Commission on Environment and Development, entitled Our Common Future. The report includes 16 principles of environmental management, designed to foster green development. It also discusses the traditional model of macroeconomic growth, and it disregard for environmental consequences. [10] From this initial movement, the future experienced a back-and-forth relationship with green methodologies; environmental issues often came second behind purely economic factors. [11] Incessant environmental concern and legislation, including in real estate development began to emerge, i.e. Green development. [12] However, a common concern of green real estate development is that it may increase costs and time, hence the ongoing argument of whether sustainability can also be economically feasible. [13] National environmental attention has since, worked its way down to real estate developers, and become quite a hot topic. [14] Developers must work within the confines of legislation that now includes environmental consideration. [15]

Legislation Contributing to Green Development

In response to increasing public concern regarding environmental issues, the government adopted a series of environmental controls in the real estate market. For example in California, such legislation included the National Environmental Policy Act, the NEPA process, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Coastal Zone Management Act, and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). [16] The National Environmental Policy Act, signed in 1970, changed how federal agencies made decisions because it required them to propose environmental analysis before starting a project.[17] The Clean Air Act (1970) requires the EPA to set national models for clean air. The Clean Water Act (1972) was designed to minimize pollution in natural bodies of water, and also to create bodies of water that are clean enough for recreational activities such as fishing or swimming. The Coastal Zone Management Act (1972) manages the nations coastal resources such as Great Lakes and estuaries. [18] The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), is also known as “Superfund.” It is commonly referred to as “Superfund” because it is comprised of two trust funds that provide help to improve areas that have been polluted by hazardous waste. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 allows the government to lien a property that is being cleaned up. [19] Additionally, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is California’s most comprehensive piece of legislation regarding the environment. This act applies to all decisions made by cities and counties in California, and includes the mandate of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR), to both public and private projects. Subsequently, any new real estate development is subject to a detailed environmental analysis before starting a project.[20]

Another piece of legislation promoting a more sustainable approach to development is California’s Senate Bill (SB) 375 (2008). It aims to achieve California’s climate goals via more efficient land use and development patterns. More specifically, SB 375 seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through close coordination between land-use and transportation. One way this is achieved is through demand-side measures. This strategy would decrease driving demand, and therefore reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and ultimately reduce GHG emissions. For example, a demand-side policy component may include placing public transit stops near development, in order to maximize walkability.[21]

Green Development in Practice

One manifestation of the Senate Bill 375 is Growth Management, which is an urban panning strategy, defined by a close coordination between land-use controls and capital investment and heavily motivated by environmental issues. It is defined by “the regulation of the amount, timing, location, and character of development." [22] As the name may suggest, growth management may not imply limiting any growth. “Growth control” carries the connotation of managing or limiting growth, and “no growth” would indicate stopping growth all together. Moreover, Growth Management requires the cooperation of all three of these connotations. [23]

Urban Growth Boundaries (UBG's), are popular growth management strategies. They are designed to encourage growth within a given boundary and discourage it outside the boundary. The goal of the UGB is to promote dense development, in order to decrease urban sprawl. This growth management technique ultimately seeks to revitalize central cities, and create vibrant, walk-able spaces for community development. [24]

These clustered development patterns are solution multipliers. This reduces demand for infrastructure, which saves money and resources. These multipliers can also include social benefits in additional to environmental ones; clustered development increases walkability, which fosters social interaction and community togetherness. [25]

See also

References

  1. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 3.
  2. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 6.
  3. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 4.
  4. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 5.
  5. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 6.
  6. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 7.
  7. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 8.
  8. ^ "Green Development". Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  9. ^ Kline, Benjamin (2011). First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
  10. ^ Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. WCED. 1987.
  11. ^ Harris, Jonathan; Goodwin, Neva (March 2003). "Reconciling Growth and the Environment". Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University.
  12. ^ Kline, Benjamin (2011). First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Inc.
  13. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 137. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  14. ^ "CBRE Surpasses 300 Leed-Certified Buildings". cbre.com. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  15. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 132. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  16. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 133. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  17. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 132. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  18. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 133. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  19. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 133. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  20. ^ Zotter Jr., Frank (2016). Legal Aspects of Real Estate (Fifth Edition ed.). Laguna Hills, California: Ashley Crown Systems Inc. p. 135. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  21. ^ Barbour, Elisa; Deakin, Elizabeth (2013). Smart Growth Planning for Climate Protection: Evaluating California's Senate Bill 375.
  22. ^ Levy, John (2011). Contemporary Urban Planning. Routledge. p. Growth Management, Smart Growth, and Sustainable Development.
  23. ^ Levy, John (2011). Contemporary Urban Planning. Routledge. p. Growth Management, Smart Growth, and Sustainable Development.
  24. ^ Levy, John (2011). Contemporary Urban Planning. Routledge. p. Growth Management, Smart Growth, and Sustainable Development.
  25. ^ Wilson, Alex (1998). Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. Canada: Rocky Mountain Institute. p. 5.


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