How Green Is My Neighborhood? Let Me Count the Ways Neighborhood Sustainability Appraisal Tools Eliot Allen, Principal, AICP, LEED AP-ND Criterion Planners Portland Oregon USA eliot@crit.com
Eliot Allen, AICP, LEED AP-ND Urban planner, Principal, Criterion Planners, Portland Oregon Community sustainability rating specialist - LEED for Neighborhood co-creator & certification reviewer - EcoDistricts Protocol co-creator & certification reviewer - STAR Community on-call technical adviser - TransformativeTools.org curator & instructor
Who s In the Room? Regions Sectors Professions Familiarity with neighborhood sustainability appraisal tools
What were the best things about the neighborhood where you grew up?
Session Outline 1. Introduction to neighborhood tools 2. Four major tools: Living Community, Enterprise, LEED, EcoDistricts 3. Other notable tools 4. Future prospects 5. Selecting a tool for your neighborhood
Introduction to Neighborhood Sustainability Appraisal Tools
What Is A Neighborhood Sustainability Appraisal Tool?
Tool Definition neighborhood sustainability appraisal tool Distinct social & built environment Well-being for future generations Quantitative assessment or rating Publicly available nationally
What s Being Rated? Location Density Use mix Multi-modal travel Energy & water use Cultural celebration School quality Workforce training Entrepreneur support Disaster preparedness
The World of Tools
TransformativeTools.org
The World of Rating Tools
Tool Family Heritage
Primary Topics
Why Appraise Neighborhood Sustainability?
Why Neighborhood Sustainability Appraisal? Critical level between household and community action Built environment decisions last for decades/centuries Impacts can be assessed before committing
Underlying Rationales Measure to manage
Optimizing Change With Appraisal Tools Tap into expert knowledge and frameworks Improve objectivity, consistency of decision-making Foster collaboration, accelerate sustainability
/Capita Capturing Neighborhood Appraisal Benefits Greenhouse gas savings available in neighborhood location/design Low Density Single Use Neighborhood High Density Mixed Use Neighborhood Norman, ASCE, 2006
Appraisal Benefits Over Time 23 Minnesota Cities www.regionalindicatorsmn.com
Appraisal as Inclusion & Collaboration LEED-ND LEED-ND 12 Mandatory 12 Prerequisites Requirements 100 100 Credit Elective Points development 6 in surrounding neighborhood development 38 in surrounding neighborhood
Who s Using Tools and How?
Tool Users Planners & designers Developers Local, state, federal governments Sustainability advocates & civic organizations
A Continuum of Community Engagement
A Continuum of Tool Engagement
Tool Qualities
Tool Qualities Scope and scale of appraisal Assessment/rating procedure & criteria Cost & time required Tool maturity, reputation & market impact User support Overall efficiency & value
Four Major Neighborhood Appraisal Tools Living Community Challenge Enterprise Green Communities LEED for Neighborhood Dev. EcoDistricts Protocol
Living Community Challenge
living-future.org/lcc
Scope Place Water Energy Health & happiness Materials Equity Beauty
Who s Using Living Community Challenge? Seattle San Francisco Test sites Normal, Illinois Washington DC New Orleans
Notable Rating Criteria Net positive water, energy, waste Embodied energy 1-time off-set 1:1 habitat protection off-site 100% of population within 2 miles of shop, meet, work, learn
Notable Criteria Cont. Sharing programs tools, books Equity off-set to nonprofit ½ cent per project cost dollar Public art Health & wellbeing plan for each resident
Disaster Preparedness Criteria Emergency back-up power - all buildings except single homes 1 week of energy storage Safe gathering location 100% of population 2 block captains/500 persons Emergency response plan to each resident
Rating Timeframe & Cost Data collection & submission preparation - 1,000+/- person hours Certification - 2-3 months Cost - $10,000-$36,000 fees, plus process/documentation labor
Enterprise Green Communities
www.enterprisecommunity.com
Enterprise Scope & Weighting Healthy living environment 22% Energy efficiency 19% Location & neighborhood fabric 18% Materials 13% Integrative design 11% Water conservation 9% Site improvements 5% O+M & resident engagement 3%
Who s Using Enterprise Green Communities? Affordable housing designers & developers Affordable housing advocates Local governments
Notable Criteria Community wealth creation Sub-metering of dwellings in multi-unit buildings Healthy living environment Project data collection
Resilience/Preparedness Criteria Risk/vulnerability assessment Energy systems flood-proofing Island-able power system Emergency water Emergency management manual
Rating Cost & Timeframe Free Submission preparation: +/- 2-3 months Certification review: +/- 2-3 months
Tool Impact
LEED for Neighborhood Development
www.usgbc.org/resources/leed-v4-neighborhood-development-current-version
LEED-ND Scope & Weighting Neighborhood content & design 44% Green infrastructure & buildings 29% Smart location & linkage 27%
LEED ND Projects
Notable Criteria - Prerequisites Location: infill, or adjacent, or transit-served, or walkable destinations Minimum connectivity intersection density 90/sq mile Minimum densities 7 dwellings/acre & 0.5 FAR
Rating Timeframe & Costs Data collection & submission preparation: 2-3 months Certification review: 3-4 months Certification fees Minimum $19,500 up to 20 acres Submission preparation/processing +/- 200-500 person-hours
Tool Maturity & Market Impact Second-generation v4 rating system released 2014 160+ projects certified 10-15 certifications/year, half international Dozens of local government adaptations
EcoDistricts Protocol
http://ecodistricts.org/get-started/a-new-model-of-urban-development
Protocol Framework 3 IMPERATIVES 6 PRIORITIES 3 IMPLEMENTATION PHASES
Primary Users Government Redevelopment Authorities Planning Agencies Transportation Departments Housing Authorities Developers Real Estate Developers Business Improvement Districts Campuses/Institutional Developers Civic-Led Organizations Community Development Corporations Non-Profit Groups Community-Based Organizations
Operating EcoDistricts Seattle Portland San Diego Saint Paul Emerging Districts Atlanta Austin Cambridge Denver Detroit Los Angeles Washington DC Atlanta Ottawa Washington DC
Equity Imperative Cities that embrace equity identify and acknowledge the populations most vulnerable to change. These cities experience stronger and longer-lasting growth. District teams must ensure their population has the opportunity to meaningfully participate, lead, and thrive.
Resilience Imperative Resilience is the capacity of cities to function so that all people are able to withstand the stresses and shocks they encounter. Districts must address resilience with a broad lens that prepares for social, economic, and environmental stresses and shocks.
Climate Protection Imperative Cities are responsible for a majority of global carbon dioxide emissions, the dominant greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. District teams must build a pathway to carbon neutrality.
Formation Phase Declaration of collaboration Decision-making body & procedures Backbone organization Committed stakeholder resources
Roadmap Phase Priorities Place Prosperity Health & Welling Connectivity Living Infrastructure Resource Restoration Each Priority Objectives - Indicators - Current baseline - Future targets - Strategies to achieve targets
Notable Assessment Criteria Stakeholder engagement & inclusion Cultural celebration Active living Digital connectivity Nature connection
Certification Maintenance Biennial Progress Reports Capitol Hill EcoDistrict Seattle WA
Other Notable Tools Future Prospects Selecting a Tool
Other Notable National Tools STAR Community city or county Sustaining Places city or county comprehensive plans Envision - infrastructure SITES landscapes STARS campuses JUST social-economic equity
Notable Local Tools Orange County FL Denver Louisville
Future Prospects Tool provider consolidation, globalization Dynamic, real-time performance rating Monetization of results, e.g. carbon credits
LEED Dynamic Plaque
Oberlin OH environmentaldashboard.org
Miami Beach Refund Based on Rating
Accounting of Neighborhood Sustainability Transactions Capacity Credit Payments Less traffic Less energy Less water Less waste Ecosystem Service Revenues Stormwater mgmt. Urban forestry Wastewater treatment Pollination Neighborhood Regeneration Funds Continuous Improvement Social & Economic Improvements
Selecting a Tool for Your Neighborhood
6 Questions to Ask in Selecting an Appraisal Tool 1. Scope and scale of appraisal? 2. Assessment/rating procedure & criteria? 3. Cost & time required? 4. Tool maturity & market impact? 5. User support? 6. Overall efficiency & value?
Leveraging the Power of Appraisal Tools Collaboration platforms & sustainability accelerators: Use for education designers, regulators, public Adapt for local policy/regulations Incentivize use Require use or equivalency
We Can t Afford to Not Appraise Neighborhood Sustainability Climate Protection Vitality Gains Prosperity Improvements Environmental Social Economic
Take Home Questions 1. How does your neighborhood rate? 2. Are your community s designers & advocates using the tools? 3. Is your local government taking advantage of the tools?
Thanks Eliot Allen eliot@crit.com