Green Central Blog

By Steve Moddemeyer

Here’s what we need to do now to get going in this direction:

1. All rain should evaporate, soak into the ground, or be collected for use.
   1. Green roofs everywhere possible
   2. Rain gardens everywhere needed
   3. Rainwater harvesting systems wherever possible
   4. Permeable paving wherever possible
   5. Wetland treatment systems wherever needed
2. As much as possible, human waste should be collected and treated on site - or if conveyed, conveyed in pressurized pipes for high level treatment and reuse.
   1. Stop building huge wasteful centralized sewer facilities
   2. Take one half of the money now budgeted for centralized sewage plants and instead separate combined systems and repair separated systems to minimize inflow and infiltration.
   3. Create incentives for onsite treatment
3. The majority of the energy needed for heating and cooling buildings should come from active solar, passive solar and geothermal systems. Additional energy needs should be met with tidal, solar and wind systems.
4. The skins of buildings should act as permeable membranes letting in fresh air, releasing moisture, moderating temperature not only within the buildings but the neighborhood surrounding them.
   
5. Mobility choices should prioritize walking first, biking second, mass transit systems third and automobiles last.  If we follow this approach, transportation can be safe and abundant while decreasing air pollution, increasing human health, and increasing convenience.
6. Good urban design is a great mobility tool.  If places people want to go are in walking and biking distance, then they will walk and bike.  If people live where the amenities and jobs are provided, then they will be able to walk and bike to their preferred destinations.
7. Natural habitat is human habitat.  Native species are welcomed into public open spaces and natural systems.

Sustainability in South Lake Union

Sustainability - a way of being and a way of building

“If you don’t know where you’re going, it’s going to take you a lot longer to get there.” - Yogi Berra

A.  What do we mean by sustainability?

1. Vibrant, lively neighborhoods that will continue to be great places to live, work, and recreate
2. Great buildings that use fewer resources in their structure and use
3. Efficient infrastructure that utilizes resources on site as much as possible - rather than importing raw materials and exporting waste
4. Natural environments that invite native species and ecosystems to flourish - even in the city.

1. Vibrant, lively neighborhoods that will continue to be great places to live, work, and recreate

• Robust neighborhood economics
• Diverse mix of uses - residential, work, play
• Interesting, rejuvenating open spaces and green places
• Healthy and safe environments
• Great urban design.

2. Great buildings that use fewer resources in their structure and longevity

• Buildings act as permeable membranes letting in fresh air, releasing moisture, moderating temperature not only within the buildings but the neighborhood surrounding them.
• Buildings conserve natural resources through smart materials choices, energy efficient design, and use of vegetation

3. Efficient infrastructure that utilizes resources on site as much as possible - rather than importing raw materials and exporting waste

• When public rights of way are used for open space, recreation and mobility
• When we prioritize walking first, biking second, mass transit systems third and automobiles last in our densest urban neighborhoods.
• o If we follow this approach, transportation can be safe and abundant while decreasing air pollution, increasing human health, and increasing convenience.)
• When all rain in the city evaporates, soaks into the ground, or is collected for use.
• When the majority of the energy needed for heating and cooling buildings comes from the sun, the earth (geothermal systems) or their combination (tidal and wind systems).
• When human waste is collected and treated on site - or if conveyed, conveyed in pressurized pipes for high level treatment and reuse.

4.  Natural environments that invite native species and ecosystems to flourish - even in the city.

• When natural habitat is also human habitat
• When native species are welcomed into public open spaces and natural systems.

B. Sustainability is a journey. It will not happen all at once - it is a journey to a way of being and a way of building.  There are multiple pathways that lead to sustainability.  There are techniques and practices that will assist us in the journey.  There are signposts along the way that we can use to gauge our success

Journey

• Over time - not all at once
• Opportunistic
• Based on triple bottom line
• Economy
• Community
• Environment

Multiple pathways

• Economies of scope vs. economies of scale
• Private investment
• Public investment
• Partnerships

Techniques and practices

• LEED for buildings provides a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. Based on well-founded scientific standards, LEED emphasizes state of the art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
• LEED - NC for neighborhood development
• Asset Management
• Evaluate life cycle costs
• Include triple bottom line in evaluation

Signposts along the way

• Joint decision between the community, the city, developers, and other agencies
• What is reasonable?  What is achievable?

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 13th, 2009 at 3:52 pm and is filed under Green Central. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.