Land Development Today - July/August 2007 - (Page U9)

A well-constructed set of indicators must include a definition of the indicator and how it is measured, why it is important, and the target level for the metric. One temptation that cities face is to develop a long list of indicators that represent the interest of everyone in the community. The challenge is to find the short list of indicators that are critical to the success of the sustainability initiative, and focusing on them. The on-going success of an indicator project is based, in part, on the monitoring of performance relative the goal. One city that has done a good job of stewardship against their goals is Minneapolis. Recently, the city published the 2007 Sustainability Report, which takes stock of where the city is relative to 24 indicators. The indicators are grouped into three categories: A Healthy Life; GreenPrint; and, A Vital Community. The importance of the indicator, the target level, the trend, and recent action taken towards improvement is included in the report. Seattle was one of the first cities to begin a sustainability indicator project. It published its first indicator report in 1993 and is in the process of releasing the 2007 indicators. It has also tackled the issue of applying the indicators at the community level. To engage the community, the nonprofit group Sustain Seattle is working on a project to develop indicators at the neighborhood scale. The Sustainable Urban Neighborhood Initiative (SUNI) is working with ten neighborhoods to gather input from citizens and business owners and open a dialogue and action to improve neighborhood health and sustainability. The following are some examples of metrics that could be sustainability indicators. (See table 1) Map 1 Reducing the Carbon Footprint One of the keys to becoming a sustainable city is to focus on the overall carbon footprint, which is why many cities are taking the lead in working to reduce the overall level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2005, nine mayors started the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Today, more than 520 mayors representing 65 million people have agreed to participate in the program. (Map 1) The program’s goals are as follows: Strive to meet or beat the Kyoto Protocol targets in their own communities, through actions ranging from antisprawl land-use policies to urban forest restoration projects to public information campaigns; Urge state and federal governments to enact policies and programs to meet or beat the GHG emission reduction target suggested for the United States in the Kyoto Protocol (7 percent reduction from 1990 levels by 2012); and Urge the U.S. Congress to pass the bipartisan greenhouse gas reduction legislation, which would establish a national emission trading system. In order to meet the Kyoto Protocol’s goal, Seattle recently enacted a Climate Action Plan, which calls for reducing dependence on cars, increasing fuel efficiency and use of biofuels, and achieving more efficient and cleaner energy for homes and businesses. Green Building One of the ways that cities are working to reduce their carbon footprint is through green building programs. Using the United States Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) program as a guide, over 50 municipalities are requiring government buildings to be LEED certified. In 2005, Scottsdale, Arizona, became the first city to require all new and remodeled municipal buildings to be LEED certified. With cities taking the lead, other groups have made the pledge to build green as well. Many businesses and developers are committing to build all new buildings to LEED standards. The driving forces are energy savings and improved work environments. The residential sector is going green, too. Recently, the National Association of Home Builders released their Green Home Building Guidelines, and the USGBC has developed a LEED rating system for homes. Austin, Texas, one of the pioneers in encouraging green building, has been engaged in this effort for over 20 years. Today, homeowners that build green houses strive to obtain a high rating from the city. Based on Austin’s success, it has formed a consulting team, Manage it Sustainable Urban Redevelopment 9

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Land Development Today - July/August 2007

Cover Contents Our Voice: Industry Advocates Your Voice: Reader Response Cover Story: Preparing Your Tax Strategy The Rules of the Game Historical Redevelopment Project Profile: Seattle’s High Point Retention: From Ravine to Road Land Use: Picatinny Arsenal Mixed Use: Florida Offices Industry News Products/Services Showcase Classifieds Recommended Reading Advertiser Index Editorial Board The Last Word: What? Me Plan… Urban Development

Land Development Today - July/August 2007

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