Building an Emerald City
A Guide to Creating Green Building Policies and Programs
In 2000, Seattle, Washington, became the first U.S. city toofficially adopt the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) “Silver”standards for its own major construction projects. In the midst of amunicipal building boom, it set new targets for building and remodelingto LEED guidelines. Its first LEED certified project, the SeattleJustice Center, was completed in 2002. The city is now home to one ofthe highest concentrations of LEED buildings in the world.
Building an Emerald City is the story of how Seattletransformed itself into a leader in sustainable “green”building, written by one of the principal figures in thattransformation. It is both a personal account – filled with theexperiences and insights of an insider – and a guide for anyonewho wants to bring about similar changes in any city. It includes“best practice” models from municipalities across thenation, supplemented by the contributions of “guestauthors” who offer stories and tips from their own experiences inother cities.
Intended as a “roadmap” for policy makers, public officialsand representatives, large-scale builders and land developers, andgreen advocates of every stripe, Building an Emerald City isthat rare book – one that is both inspirational and practical.
