Summary: Seven months after it was ravaged by a monster tornado, the city council of Greensburg, Kans., voted on December 17 to adopt a resolution that all city buildings greater than 4,000 square feet will be certified LEED® Platinum by the U.S. Green Building Council. Additionally, the council resolved that all new buildings will be required to meet LEED “points” requirements calculated to reduce energy use by 42 percent over current code requirements. Platinum is LEED’s highest rating, and Greensburg becomes the first city in the U.S. to require Platinum certification.

The USGBC reports that Greensburg’s rebuilding effort has support from Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory and its subcontractors are providing technical assistance on all aspects of energy use and building design in Greensburg. "The city of Greensburg has taken the extraordinary step of committing to rebuild their community to a new vision, not settling for simply recreating what had gone before," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO, & founding chair, U.S. Green Building Council, in a press release issued by the USGBC. "By committing to a recovery plan based on green building, the community's leadership has set a path that will result in a healthier, more livable city for its citizens, turning a crisis into an opportunity that is an example for us all."

At rebuilding’s first blush, the city and local AIA members began planning a sustainable effort. Early on, the Kansas Design Team and Disaster Assessment Program began shaping plans for a green rebuilding, and BNIM Architects, Kansas City, Mo., long known for its work in sustainability, helped draft the city’s resolution and educate the community on the benefits of LEED Platinum certification. The firm is also developing a comprehensive master plan to “rebuild Greensburg based on the principles of economic, social, and environmental sustainability.”

While other municipalities, such as Washington, D.C.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; San Jose, Calif.; and Asheville, N.C., have passed resolutions requiring LEED certification for city-owned projects, no others to date require anything as stringent as Platinum-level certification. On the state level, Florida alone, as of last July, requires all state-owned buildings to be LEED-certified and all new state buildings to strive for LEED Platinum certification.