Cities and states are always looking for ways to more efficiently and effectively deliver public services, such as flood management, resource conservation, pollution prevention, social equity and human health. Green infrastructure is an integrated set of strategies that help realize these outcomes in the built environment through the deployment of design, materials and methods that...

The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED®) green building certification has transformed how the building industryand the public consider sustainability in the built environment. The most recent update to LEED, known as LEED v4, is the new standard for high-performance

First adopted in 2007, and most recently renewed in 2015, New Mexico’s Sustainable Building Tax Credit supports the greening of many building types across the state. Released in October, 2017, this case study captures the impacts of this landmark policy and highlights the context and people that helped to create and sustain this nation-leading green...

Green infrastructure is any practice that uses or replicates natural systems to achieve the desired outcome. This includes green roofs, bioswales and rain gardens. Green roofs replicate meadows to retain water and restore habitats on the top of buildings. Green infrastructure does not exclusively mean vegetation. Permeable surfaces are considered green infrastructure as well, because...

USGBC local communities around the country are helping cities jumpstart their building performance benchmarking efforts. And the results are pretty exciting. After four years of benchmarking in New York City, buildings there are using almost 15 percent less energy according to MIT professor David Hsu, one of the most widely recognized experts in energy benchmarking...