22 Handbook of Green Building Design and Construction

1.3.3 Defining Sustainable Communities

The interest in sustainability and sustainable communities arose out of a desire
to increase quality of life and opportunities that economic development
can bring, but in a manner that preserves the environment for present and
future generations. However, the concept of sustainable communities remains
somewhat elusive, perhaps even complicated, and to offer a precise definition
may vary from source to source. Community planners around the country
have started to formulate a perception or vision of how http://www.seattle.
gov/dpd/cms/groups/pan/@pan/@sustainableblding/documents/web_
informational/dpds_007254.pdf such a community will grow to embrace
the sustainability of its citizens’ core values which include: the community,
social equity, economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, security, and
opportunity.
Since LEED and sustainability has become part of the mainstream in the
United States, numerous cities have commenced adopting an all-inclusive
plan that incorporates goals and policies designed to help guide develop-
ment toward a more sustainable and environmental friendly future. This
new forward-looking “green urbanism” desires to apply leading edge tools,
models, strategies, and technologies to encourage cities into achieving eco-
friendly sustainability goals and policies. The application of an integrated,
whole-systems design approach to the planning of communities or neigh-
borhoods puts the city in a stronger position to achieve increased envi-
ronmental protection levels. Among the other compelling inducements for
building owners and property developers to invest in green buildings, is the
LEED certification program which includes the financial benefits of oper-
ating a more efficient and less expensive facility. The adherence to LEED
guidelines will go a long way to ensuring that the facilities are designed,
constructed, and operated more effectively, mainly because LEED would
prefer project teams to concentrate on operating life cycle costs, rather than
initial construction costs.
As previously mentioned, many states are now offering various incentives
in the form of tax benefits for green building and LEED compliance. An
excellent example of this is the State of New York, where Governor George
Pataki in May 2001, signed into law the nation’s first Green Building Tax
Credit (GBTC) program.This is a 25 million dollar income tax credit created
to promote the funding of concepts and ideas that encourage green build-
ing practices, particularly owners and tenants of buildings that meet specific
criteria regarding energy, IAQ, water conservation, materials, commissioning,
appliance, and size criteria as set out in the State regulations, maintained by the