Government Relations Resources

AIA Releases Local Leaders in Sustainability - Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment Report

Despite the extended global economic slump, local communities are pushing ahead and expanding their green building programs. In the new Local Leaders in Sustainability report, Green Building Policy in a Changing Economic Environment, the AIA reviews policies and best practices intended to help policymakers advance a more sustainable legislative agenda for growth and development.

More than one in five U.S. cities with populations greater than 50,000 surveyed have a policy to promote green buildings, the report finds. This accounts for more than 53 million people. The AIA also found a 50 percent increase in cities with green building programs since 2007, when the AIA initially first conducted its survey of cities.

The report also contains detailed case studies of the green building programs in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Nashville, and Grand Rapids.

“My passion for sustainability really comes out of the social side of the ‘triple bottom line,’ ” said Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell. “We have hit a tipping point here in Grand Rapids, as I think that we are at the point now where the arguments around cost have been proven to be, if not fallacious, at least weak arguments when you look at the long term costs of maintaining a green building.” (Hear more from Mayor Heartwell in a recent interview with the AIA.)

“It is encouraging that cities are recognizing the economic benefits of energy-efficient buildings, and equally encouraging that the number of programs across the country are increasing despite such difficult economic conditions,” said Christine McEntee, AIA Executive Vice President / CEO. “Our ultimate goal is to achieve carbon neutrality in buildings by 2030 and that all design projects will be sustainable as a matter of course.”

Highlights from the report:

• 138 cities have green building programs, compared with 92 cities in 2007 – an increase of 50 percent
• 24 of the 25 most populated metropolitan regions in the United States are built around cities with a green building policy
• The western region has the most green building programs with 56 cities in just six states
• The mountain region is second in the percentage of cities with green building programs, with 24 percent of residents living in those cities
• The eastern region has seen a 75 percent rise in green building programs since 2007
• The central region has 21 cities with green building programs

One of the primary goals of the Local Leaders in Sustainability project is to increase the level of green building programs across the country. To this end, the AIA has been presenting the results of this research to local government officials with presentations by AIA leadership at the US Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties, and the National League of Cities annual meetings.

A new Local Leaders in Sustainability Web site includes links to all four of the Local Leaders reports. A limited number of hard copy reports are also available for local and state components that would like to present this report to government officials. Additionally, by the first quarter of next year, a roadshow presentation will be available for AIA components to use in order to further sustainability advocacy efforts.

For more information or additional resources related to the Local Leaders reports, please contact Brooks Rainwater, director of AIA Local Relations.

Washington Report

AIA Provides Input on Administration's Review of National Disaster Recovery Plans

Earlier this year, President Obama directed the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Shawn Donovan, to lead a working group to examine how to improve long-term disaster recovery and how to partner with private, non-profit, and state/local government stakeholders. The group has been tasked with making specific recommendations to the President, due in early April, and developing a National Disaster Recovery Framework that details operational guidance.

The goals of the framework are to define an operational framework for inter-agency disaster recovery efforts and assistance; define needed changes to federal authorities in post-disaster recovery to better facilitate delivery of federal programs; identify challenges in state and local capacities to support recovery efforts, and how federal agencies can provide support; identify the role of nonprofits and the private sector in recovery; and determine how disaster resiliency, economic factors, and environmental sustainability should be more effectively woven into the recovery process.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is holding five stakeholder meetings around the country to create a foundation for the framework and to solicit opinions from private and non-profit parties involved in some aspect of recovery, environmental planning/sustainability, historic preservation, and cultural resources. As a recovery partner, the AIA has and will continue to participate in these meetings to discuss how architects can play an important role in recovery and post-disaster efforts.

The AIA representatives will bring up liability and workers compensation concerns for volunteer architects, as well as the issue of license portability [from one state to another]. They will also highlight the importance of establishing a standard of training, the logistical difficulties of post-disaster activation, and the importance of long-range planning incorporating sustainability measures. Additionally, the AIA will submit official written comments drawing attention to these issues and offering its continued support.

For more information, or to submit your own comments, please visit the working group’s Web site. For more information on the AIA’s involvement, contact the AIA federal relations team.

State & Local Update

Council of State Governments Approves Suggested Legislation Reflecting AIA Carbon Neutrality Goals

On November 14, a committee of the Council of State Governments (CSG) voted to include legislation in their suggested state legislation book that reflects the AIA’s carbon neutrality goals. The submitted bill came from Washington State, where it passed this year. AIA Washington was instrumental in drafting the bill, which reflects 2030 carbon neutrality goals.

The CSG Suggested State Legislation Committee meets twice annually to discuss legislation that has passed in one to ten states and is seen as a new or innovative policy. The SSL Committee recommended that the text of Washington’s bill, WA SB 5854, as submitted by the AIA, be included in their compendium of suggested state legislation. In the discussion, the bill was recognized as an innovative piece of legislation that helps states set achievable targets for energy-efficient buildings. A digest of the bill as passed is available on the state’s Web site.

CSG is an organization that brings together state legislators and regulators from across the country with private sector interests to discuss policy and best practices. Many states look to CSG to provide well-written model legislation, making this a great victory for the AIA. For more information on CSG or its suggested state legislation program, contact Renée Wadsworth, manager of AIA State Relations.

Committee Passes IECC Commercial Chapter Change Proposal

Along with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the New Buildings Institute (NBI), the AIA recently proposed one of the widest sweeping series of changes to the commercial chapter of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in IECC history. Setting the stage for International Code Council (ICC) final action in 2010, the IECC committee passed the change proposal in Baltimore late last month.

The AIA and experts from NBI and the DOE / Pacific Northwest National Lab drafted a rewrite of IECC Chapter 5, which addresses energy efficiency in commercial buildings. The change proposal included the addition of building commissioning, more stringent mechanical system efficiency requirements, and improvements to the fenestration and opaque wall sections. The IECC committee passed the change proposal in a 6-5 vote. The ICC final action hearings will take place in early 2010.

The AIA is working with its partners to ensure a successful public comment period, addressing concerns from industry and positioning the proposal for acceptance by the ICC voting membership. The AIA, partnering with NBI, put forward two other related proposals on fenestration and opaque walls that were passed nearly unanimously by the committee. The proposal and revision timeline will be available on the DOE Web site for review and public comment. For more information on all the code change proposals, visit the Building Energy Codes Program Web site. For questions on the AIA’s involvement in the IECC, contact Jessyca Henderson, AIA, the AIA director of Sustainability Advocacy.

Greenbuild Offers Opportunities to Learn, Teach, and Connect

The U.S. Green Building Council’s annual Greenbuild Convention was held November 10-13 in Phoenix, AZ, where hundreds of AIA members were in attendance. The AIA exhibited at two booths and took part in a series of sessions and presentations at the event.

Beyond the showroom floor, AIA staff attended and participated in educational sessions, including, among others, presentations on “green job” creation at the federal, state, and local levels; zero-energy buildings; integrated project delivery; and regulatory barriers to building green. The AIA’s significant role in the development of the International Green Construction Code (IGCC) was a topic of much interest during sessions focused on green building codes and at the AIA’s Walk the Walk booth.

Attendees to the expo hall also had the opportunity to learn about what it means to be an architect, the value of AIA membership, and other AIA sustainability initiatives – notably, the AIA’s 2030 Commitment to carbon-neutral buildings. In addition, staff from AIA Contract Documents® discussed with attendees how these documents encourage sustainable design.

In addition to using the conference to reach out to the larger green community, AIA national staff used the gathering to meet face-to-face with leadership from AIA Arizona and representatives of other AIA state components to discuss legislative and regulatory priorities from both a state and national perspective.

Communities by Design

Indy SDAT Highlights Connection Between Sustainability and Revitalization

EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Mathy Stanislaus talks to the first public workshop at the Indianapolis SDAT.

An AIA Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) visited Indianapolis from October 28-30th, focusing on inner city revitalization through a Model Smart Growth Renewal District in a project area characterized by over five dozen brownfields, abandoned housing, lack of employment centers, and neighborhood amenities.

The Indianapolis project involved hundreds of participants, including dozens of students from Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning, who participated in parallel studio sessions with the SDAT process. Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mathy Stanislaus attended the first public workshop and offered support to the community process, outlining the agency’s interest in promoting sustainability through its new Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

Local steering committee member Sanford Garner, AIA, expressed excitement about the opportunity the SDAT brought to the project area. "It's a huge opportunity having national experts helping us and bringing all the neighborhood constituents together. It's exciting to talk about what it could be," Garner said.

Team member Kaid Benfield wrote about the SDAT on his Switchboard blog for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Huffington Post and AlterNet also picked up the story.

The team’s recommendations focused around building an effective revitalization strategy driven by the community’s vision of its future. After the team’s final presentation Friday evening, one community member remarked, “This is the first time we’ve ever had such detailed information about our neighborhood, and I can’t wait to get started. I can’t wait until Monday morning.”

For more information on SDAT in Indianapolis, contact Joel Mills, director, AIA Communities by Design.

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