Smart Growth: On Common Ground: Summer08

• Green Homes • Marketing Sustainability • Eco-Friendly Schools The SUMMER 2008 Sustainable Future

Sustainable Smart Growth While many definitions for sustainable greater fuel-efficiency. A more difficult task development have been put forward, for most Americans is reducing the miles the simplest test for sustainability may they must drive. It is smart growth that be “if we continue doing things this way, will help achieve this reduction, if coupled will future generations have food to eat, with more efficient use and conservation clean water to drink, a functioning natural of land. environment and a functioning economy?” In this issue of On Common Ground, As the seriousness of climate change we present the many approaches that sinks in, sustainable development and its REALTORS®, home builders, school components, “green building” and smart officials, environmentalists, public officials growth, are increasingly seen not just as an and concerned citizens are using to shape improvement, but as vital to humans’ well- communities into sustainable human being now and in the future. environments—communities that make Three primary components of the built better use of our resources and reduce environment significantly contribute to the damage we leave behind. Green the greenhouse gases responsible for building is just the start; this issue also climate change—the development of land, includes transportation alternatives, transportation, and the construction and the local food movement, walkable operation of buildings. Our response to neighborhoods, “green infrastructure” global warming must address all of these. and eco-friendly schools. It will take all Energy efficient buildings are achieving of these and more to create sustainable greater market acceptance, and many communities—sustainability requires consumers are switching to vehicles with substantial, and sustained, commitment. For more information on NAR and smart growth, go to www.realtor.org/smartgrowth. For more information on NAR and Housing Opportunity, go to www.realtor.org/housingopportunity. On Common Ground is published twice a year by the Government Affairs division of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR), and is distributed free of charge. The publication presents a wide range of views on smart growth issues, with the goal of encouraging a dialogue among REALTORS®, elected officials and other interested citizens. The opinions expressed in On Common Ground are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, its members or affiliate organizations. Editor Special Issue Co-Editor Joseph R. Molinaro Hugh Morris Manager, Smart Growth Programs Smart Growth and Community Outreach Programs NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001 Washington, DC 20001 Distribution For more copies of this issue or to be placed on our mailing list for future issues of On Common Ground, please contact Ted Wright, NAR Government Affairs, at (202) 383-1206 or twright@realtors.org. 2 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

On Common Ground Summer 2008 What is a Sustainable House? 4 by Brad Broberg Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Sustain Here Comes the Green Neighborhood 10 by David Goldberg Green Infrastructure 18 by Brad Broberg Marketing a Sustainable Future REALTORS® Connect Buyers with Energy Saving Homes 24 by Steve Wright Seeking Green REALTOR® Associations Provide a Helping Hand to Achieve Sustainability. 28 by Steve Wright Two-Wheeled Sustainability 34 by Barbara McCann Walk This Way American Cities Test Strategies to Promote Alternative Transportation 40 by Judy Newman Learning to Conserve Eco-Friendly Schools Built for Future Generations 48 by Christine Sexton A Growing Trend Smart Foods from Smart Growth 54 by John Van Gieson REALTORS® Take Action 60 Making Smart Growth Happen On Common Ground thanks the following contributors and organizations for photographs, illustrations and artist renderings reprinted in this issue: Art Allen, Transit for Livable Communities; Frankie Barker, Matanuska-Susitna Borough; Chris Bartle, Green Key Real Estate; Jacquie Berger, Just Food; Walter Brown and Loren Heyns, Green Street Properties; Erica Burt, Farr Associates; Chris Carrel, Friends of the Hylebos; Ted Chalgren, Cox and Dinkins, Inc.; City of Aurora, Ill.; Camila Clark, Maryland Ofﬁce of Tourism; Paul DeMaio, Virginia Division of Transportation; Mary Ebeling, Sheboygan County Planning and Resources; Mark Gashler, Ecobroker®; Samnetta Gaye, Southside Community Land Trust; Lori Ito Hardenbergh, Sidwell Friends School; Bob Hill, Vermont Association of REALTORS®; Tricia Jumonville, ERA Colonial Real Estate; Ashley Katz, U.S. Green Building Council; Michael Kiefer, Green DC Realty; Matt Kolb, Pedal to Properties; Nathan Norris, The Waters; Caroline Novak, Lancaster Farmland Trust; Barbara Richey, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy; Rhonda Rosenberg, King County Housing Authority; Sarah Soczka, Boelter + Lincoln; and Craig Tackabery, Walk Bike Marin. 3

What is a S U S T A I N A B L E H O U S E ? By Brad Broberg G reen used to be just another color. Now—like good schools and granite countertops—it’s also a primary consideration for homebuyers. That’s true even when buyers aren’t sure what green means. “Some people know what to expect, but other people say, ‘I want a green home. What does that entail?’” said As the demand for green homes REALTOR® Chris Boardman, a certified EcoBroker® with Intero Real Estate Services in Santa Cruz, Calif. grows, confusion about what it Boardman’s training—he earned his EcoBroker® certifi- means to be green is cause for cation through EcoBroker® International—makes it easy concern. for him to answer that question. In fact, he often answers it before it’s asked. It’s a reflex. “When I walk through a As the demand for green homes grows, confusion about house with people, I’ll point out that the windows are what it means to be green is cause for concern. Two outdated or the attic needs insulation,” he said. organizations are helping buyers, builders and REAL- Yet not everybody is so well-versed. Greenwashing— TORS® unravel the green riddle by offering nationwide the act of misleading consumers about environmental green home rating systems. practices, products or services—is an ongoing problem. Late last year, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) “Some home listings put green in there and there’s really launched Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design nothing green about it at all,” Boardman said. (LEED) for Homes. The National Association of Home- For buyers hoping to separate the green from the green- builders (NAHB) launched the National Green Building washed, one bit of good news is the increasing number Program in February of 2008, which includes the National of local green certification programs. More and more Green Building Standard (NGBS) begun last year. builders, seeking to promote their green building prac- While the nuts and bolts may differ, the basic mecha- tices, are joining these programs, which ensure homes nisms of the two programs—both voluntary—are simi- reflect at least some shade of green. The catch is the sys- lar. Each mandates certain green features, awards points tems aren’t widely recognized outside their regions, and for optional features, requires independent inspections they don’t use a uniform rating or certification process. and has different levels of green certification. Whichever 4 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

A 2007 survey by NAHB revealed that “reduced energy costs” was the number one reason respondents would choose to buy a green home. program a builder chooses, homes built to NGBS or remodelers can take to become a Green Certified Profes- LEED specifications deliver more than a green sheen. sional. NARI also offers a 12-session green education course that includes energy efficiency and conservation, What makes a home truly green? Common benchmarks indoor air quality, efficient use of resources, recycling of include: demolition material and renewable energy sources. • Energy (effective insulation; high-performance win- While NARI does not certify projects, the NGBS being dows; high-efficiency lighting). developed by NAHB will include a rating system for • Indoor air (VOC-free finishes, adhesives and carpet- green remodels. In addition, the USGBC and the Amer- ing; radon-resistant construction; mechanical and ican Society of Interior Designers Foundation recently natural ventilation). • Water (low-flow toilets and showerheads; rainwater harvesting; graywater recycling). • Landscaping (little or no lawn; native plants; limited irrigation). • Building products (materials with recycled content; salvaged materials; lumber from certified forests). • Siting/land use (conservation of natural features; compact development; access to transit). Look for those features to become more and more mainstream with every passing year. By 2010, green homes will account for 10 percent of the new homes built annually, up from 2 percent in 2006, according to a Mc- Graw-Hill SmartMarket Report. Besides the growing number of new homes being built green, many existing homes are getting a green makeover. Late last year, the National Association of the Re- modeling Industry (NARI) began offering an exam that 5

Glenwood Park in Atlanta, Ga., is an entire community built around green building principles. rolled out REGREEN, a set of guidelines for green remodeling projects. REGREEN does not include a rating system. However, remodeling projects in which a home is gutted can seek a LEED for Homes rating. Many of the benchmarks for new green homes are equal- ly applicable to green makeovers. Specific tips from the USGBC include: harnessing solar power; plugging air leaks; using readily renewable materials such as bamboo; switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs; replacing forced-air heating with radiant floor heating; installing a programmable thermostat; and switching to Energy Star appliances (more about that later). If energy efficiency is a builder, buyer or remodeler’s sole Right now, the green feature with the most buzz is en- goal, the Energy Star program is a third nationwide cer- ergy efficiency. A 2007 survey by NAHB revealed that tification option. “Energy Star is very, very specifically “reduced energy costs” was the number one reason re- designed to define highly energy-efficient products,” spondents would choose to buy a green home or remod- said Sam Rashkin, national director of Energy Star for el their existing home to make it greener. Next came Homes. “We set the bar.” “because it would be healthier” and it’s “the right thing Energy Star is a joint program of the Environmental to do for the environment.” Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Ener- Energy Star is very specifically designed to define highly energy-efficient products. 6 ON COMMON GROUND

gy (DOE). When it debuted in 1992, the first products it developed energy standards for were computers and computer monitors. Since then, Energy Star has established performance standards for more than 50 product categories, and the Energy Star label is now displayed on thousands of individual products. Many Energy Star standards—encompassing everything from windows to lighting to ventilation—are referenced in the scorecards of local and national green home rating systems. In addition, builders can now earn an Energy Star label for an entire house. To qualify for an Energy Star for Homes label, a home must be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Unit Code. It also must include additional energy-saving features—these typically make homes 20-30 percent more energy efficient than standard homes. “A lot of green building programs use Energy Star as a blueprint,” said Rashkin. “We provide a platform for defining…energy efficiency.” In fact, both LEED and NGBS demand that homes achieve the same 15 percent A lot of green building programs improvement in energy efficiency as Energy Star. use Energy Star as a blueprint. Courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, ©Boyd Loving Pedestrian-friendly walkways are just one of the many benefits that sustainable communities offer, as highlighted by the Hudson River Greenway in New York. SUMMER 2008 7

Energy Star recently added a related label for indoor air ity of new commercial buildings. Over the years, it’s gained quality and is creating another for water conservation. wide acceptance, leading to requests that it be expanded. Together with energy efficiency, they form a bundle of “Many people were saying it would be great to have a certi- standards that green building programs could use as a fication program for home construction,” said Ashley Katz, cornerstone for explaining their own rating system, communications coordinator for the USGBC. Rashkin said. After concluding a pilot phase in spring 2007, LEED After 15 years, Energy Star has built strong brand aware- for Homes made its formal debut in the fall of that year. ness. In a recent survey, 70 percent of the respondents So far, more than 500 homes have been rated, with an- recognized the label. “We offer a very clear definition to other 1,000 plus in the pipeline. That’s a drop in the consumers,” he said. bucket compared to the program’s goal. Brand awareness is also a goal of the new green home “We expect to have one million certified homes by programs launched by the USGBC and the NAHB. 2010,” said Katz. With green homes expected to account “They both very much want to be THE green program for 10 percent of new home construction by 2010, that’s in the marketplace,” Rashkin said. “There’s a lot of de- not as farfetched as it sounds, she said. bate about who’s the greenest. We stay away from it. We “People are becoming more and more interested in green can work with both programs.” homes and green building. They’re wondering, ‘how do If LEED sounds familiar, that’s because the USGBC intro- I know if my home is green?’” said Katz. “That’s what duced the program in 2000 as a way to rate the sustainabil- LEED offers.” Cox and Dinkins, a professional civil engineering and land surveying firm based in Columbia, S.C., developed the first commercial LEED certified building in South Carolina. ©2003 Brian Dressler Photography ©2003 Brian Dressler Photography 8 ON COMMON GROUND

LEED ratings are managed by a network of LEED for Homes Providers— local organizations with experience supporting green building. Residents of The Waters community in Montgomery, Ala., enjoy a warm day on their porch, which was specifically built to shade the interior rooms to cut down on energy costs during the hot summer. LEED ratings are managed by a network of LEED for independent inspection. Ratings by local associations Homes Providers—local organizations with experience may or may not. supporting green building. They contract with the US- Like LEED, the NGBS relies on local professionals to GBC to market the program, review scorecards and manage the rating process—including inspections. The oversee independent inspections. NAHB Research Center awards final certification— Builders earn points for meeting LEED requirements in bronze, silver, gold and emerald—based on points nine categories: innovation and design process; location awarded in seven categories: water efficiency; energy ef- and linkages; sustainable sites; water efficiency; energy and ficiency; resource efficiency; lot and site development; atmosphere; materials and resources; indoor environmental indoor environmental quality; global impact; and hom- quality; awareness and education; and energy and atmo- eowner education. sphere. Depending on a project’s total points, the USGBC Working with the International Code Council, the NAHB awards a rating of certified, silver, gold or platinum. is seeking certification from the American National Stan- The NGBS is based on Model Green Home Building dards Institute (ANSI) for the NGBS—a process that en- Guidelines the NAHB published in 2005 to help its sures extensive public comment and consensus decisions. member associations create local green building pro- “This will be the first and only residential green building grams such as Triangle Green in North Carolina and standard certified by ANSI,” said Schmidt. ● the Green Building Initiative in St. Louis, Mo. Togeth- er, NAHB member associations have rated more than ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: 100,000 green homes. United States Green Building Council (LEED The idea behind the NGBS is to offer builders another for Homes): www.thegreenhomeguide.org rating option that is uniform as well as more demand- National Association of Home Builders ing, said Calli Schmidt, director of environmental com- (NGBS): www.nahbgreen.org munications with the NAHB. Energy Star for Homes: www.energystar.gov “You can still build a green home with the [2005] Brad Broberg is a Seattle-based freelance writer spe- Guidelines,” said Schmidt. “But the new standard re- cializing in business and development issues. His work flects the most recent in technology and knowledge.” appears regularly in the Puget Sound Business Jour- A key difference: ratings under the NGBS require an nal and the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. SUMMER 2008 9

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Sustain. Here Comes the (Green) Neighborhood By David Goldberg A s every REALTOR® knows, most people who are looking for a place to live are shopping for more than four walls and a roof. They’re seeking a neighborhood that reﬂects what they value in life. But where does that leave the family who is looking to live in a way that is as environmentally sustainable and energy-efﬁcient as possible? It’s true there are plenty of cities with labeling programs designed to help buyers identify a “green” home. But how do you know when you’ve found a green neighborhood? When you’re building a green neighborhood, you’re fundamentally concerned with the size of two footprints: land and carbon. 10 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

Glenwood Park will harvest approximately 35,000 gallons of water per week using a combination of storm water and well water, thus avoiding any use of potable water from the city of Atlanta for its drought resistant landscaping. Smart growth focuses on the land footprint and efficiency of resources. Some argue that the criteria for a green neighborhood are fairly well satisfied by building according to the principles of smart growth. That means conserving land, focusing development first in areas that are already developed, providing transportation options other than cars, and creating mixed-use development that makes neighborhoods compact and walkable. Others say that smart growth, as it is typically discussed, does not quite touch all the bases of sustainability. “When you’re building a green neighborhood, you’re fundamentally concerned with the size of two footprints: land and carbon,” says Walter Brown, a developer The term “green neighborhood” is relatively new. Al- who strives to build green. The land footprint refers to though there is no set definition, there appears to be the impact of development on once-natural areas—the a growing consensus around many of the most visible amount of land consumed and how it is treated—while features a green neighborhood should have. There is the carbon footprint represents the amount of fossil fu- even a new national program to certify neighborhoods els burned as part of daily life. “Smart growth focuses as ecologically sound and energy-efficient. Yet at the on the land footprint and efficiency of resources. Green same time, there is disagreement over how to make the neighborhoods marry that with concerns like tree preser- neighborhoods sustainable over generations, and what vation, storm-water management, energy-efficient heat- green really means. ing and cooling equipment…it’s taking smart growth to Green versus smart the next level, adding another layer.” Experts interviewed for this article were unanimous Others suggest that building green neighborhoods means on one point: collecting green-certified houses into a following the old environmental mantra: Reduce. Re- conventional subdivision on a former farm field at the use. Recycle. Reduce the land consumed, the miles trav- edge of the metro area would not a green neighborhood eled by car and the consumption of energy. Reuse the make. Beyond that, there was little unanimity. buildings and infrastructure of existing neighborhoods, 11

use waste as a source of energy, and reuse “gray” water to generation after generation. Neighborhoods will always maintain landscaping. Recycle building materials, and be regenerated to some degree over time, but the under- even the land itself—the post-industrial brownfields and lying “bones” must be excellent, or else the neighbor- fallow parking-lot “grayfields” around defunct shopping hood will fall into abandonment. centers. The next most important criterion is that the neighbor- Bert Gregory, president and CEO of Mithun, a Seat- hood be “walkable,” says Doug Farr, a Chicago archi- tle-based urban design firm that has made green devel- tect and principal author of the newly published book, opment a focus of its practice, defines a green neigh- Sustainable Urbanism. “Being walkable means more than The neighborhood has to be complete, with homes, stores and schools in the right balance so that you have a critical mass of destinations to walk to and enough families nearby to make them viable. Photo by Rick Keating The Jim Wiley Community Center is a key piece in the Greenbridge redevelopment effort The Greenbridge Green drain demon- near Seattle, Wa. Green features include a cupola which regulates air flow and ventilation, a strates how gravity moves from the roof hydronic heat system, solar panels and a number of energy and water efficiency features. tops to a clean drain system that helps protect Puget Sound. borhood with this thumbnail sketch: “It is compact, merely having the facilities for walking. The neighbor- complete, connected and uses resources wisely. It needs hood has to be complete, with homes, stores and schools to be appropriately located, respectful of environmen- in the right balance so that you have a critical mass of tal conditions and connected to a transportation system destinations to walk to and enough families nearby to that allows for a mix of travel options.” make them viable.” Excellent human habitat Why is walkability so critical? “Fish swim, humans walk. Green neighborhoods, first and foremost, should shine There can be no more primary activity that benefits as examples of highly-valued human habitat, Gregory people more than walking. … And it’s eco-effective.” says. Only those places that meet the timeless needs and Designing a neighborhood with the intention of provid- desires of human beings will succeed in the marketplace ing a safe, inviting way to walk to many daily activities 12 ON COMMON GROUND

automatically reduces both the land and carbon foot- Green neighborhoods should prints, putting more destinations within a smaller geo- graphic area so that residents use less energy getting to shine as examples of highly- and fro. At the same time, complete streets—designed valued human habitat. to accommodate cars but also to make walking and biking inviting and free of hazard—draw more people. This amounts to more “eyes on the street,” making the area safer from crime, Farr says. The third principle, a corollary to being walkable, is high-quality public transportation. That means a comprehensive transit network that connects residents of the green neighborhood to the broader region, providing access to the jobs and cultural opportunities that cannot be contained within a single neighborhood. Such a system also provides a hedge against oil dependence. “The future is not certain and $10 gallon gas could be ﬁve years away or 20 years away,” Farr says. “It is not fair to give families no other choice but to accept what- ever hit to the budget the oil companies demand.” Some green neighborhoods might take the form of “transit- Photo by Rick Keating The Greenbridge development project incorporated art in several different ways throughout the community while maintaining greener principles. Photo by Rick Keating SUMMER 2008 13

oriented development,” or TOD—dense housing and of infrastructure. (For more on green infrastructure, see commercial nodes built around a high-capacity transit story on page 18.) station, usually rail. Other green neighborhoods might “Links to nature should be in every neighborhood,” adds be built farther away from a high-volume transit line Farr. “One way to think about it is, how far would you have and connect to that larger system via bus and streetcar. to drive your kids to go play with frogs in a stream?” Literally green Walter Brown is senior vice president for development Green neighborhoods should be literally green, Gregory and environmental affairs at Atlanta-based Green Street says. There should be tree-lined streets, planting strips, Properties. Providing adequate greenery in a dense urban pocket parks, forest preserves, community gardens, setting presents a thorny design challenge, he says, but rooftop gardens and more. Aspects of a natural environment take the edge off of urban life in myriad ways, and provide important ecological services. “Even the highest density environments—especially the highest density environments—should take advantage of natural systems’ ability to process stormwater, to absorb carbon, or to curb the heat island effect,” says Gregory. This “green infrastructure” is as critical to long-term health of a neighborhood, city and region as every other kind Aspects of a natural environment take the edge off of urban life in myriad ways, and provide important ecological services. Residents of Glenwood Park gather together to celebrate the grand opening of the community. 14 ON COMMON GROUND

We created a central green that collects all the rainwater and cleans it naturally, and gives each person a larger park and a place to play. not an insurmountable one. When his company built Glenwood Park, a green, new urbanist neighborhood on recycled industrial land in the city of Atlanta, they were able to ﬁnd a single solution to storm-water runoff and green-space needs. “Our houses have small yards and not a lot of green which has been adopted with gusto by a growing number around each building, but we created a central green of architects, developers and local governments. Now, the that collects all the rainwater and cleans it naturally, Green Building Council is applying a similar set of stan- and gives each person a larger park and a place to play dards to green neighborhoods in a pilot program called that exceeds what they could do on their individual lot.” LEED for Neighborhood Developments. There can be other bonuses to smaller private lots as LEED-ND, as it is known, was developed in conjunc- well. “The remnant green that people have gets more tion with the Congress for the New Urbanism and the intensive attention. People make beautiful spaces, much Natural Resources Defense Council, with participation more interesting than the quarter-acre backyard,” the from many other organizations. The rating system applies taming of which often means still greater carbon emis- a three-tiered screen to development projects, evaluating sions, as well as lawn chemicals. them by “location and linkage,” “neighborhood pattern LEED for neighborhoods and design” and “green construction and technology.” Over the last several years the U.S. Green Building Coun- Within those areas projects may win credits for compact cil has administered the LEED certiﬁcation program for development, affordable housing, reuse of historic build- the environmental performance of individual buildings, ings, reduced parking footprint, solar orientation, prox- SUMMER 2008 15

heavily represented—green neighborhoods are expected to play a strong role in that state’s ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Yet another element: Social sustainability While LEED-ND awards credits for the inclusion of affordable housing, accessibility to people of all income levels is not a prerequisite for certification. That omis- sion could encourage neighborhoods that are “green” but less than sustainable, especially if they end up being exclusive, says Stephen Norman, executive director of the King County Housing Authority in Seattle. “Genuine sustainability will require social sustainability Genuine sustainability will require as well as environmental sustainability,” Norman said. “We’ve learned from hard experience that if people are social sustainability as well as en- isolated in concentrations of poverty or excluded from vironmental sustainability. living where there are jobs and educational opportunities, the bricks and mortar don’t survive.” Norman’s imity to housing and jobs, and a host of other features. All agency is trying to create spaces that are both green and told, LEED-ND has nine required benchmarks and 49 inclusive. One example is Greenbridge, a former hous- possible categories in which to earn credits toward silver, ing project that has been redeveloped into a mixed-in- gold or platinum certification. According to the Green come eco-village with shops, a school, and transporta- Building Council, “LEED certification provides indepen- tion to a key commercial corridor. dent, third-party verification that a development’s loca- Achieving the level of sustainability Norman envisions tion and design meet accepted high levels of environmen- is the ultimate goal, says Brown, but it will require pub- tally responsible, sustainable development.” lic/private partnerships. “It’s a continuum. There are so The 200-plus projects accepted into the pilot phase many layers you can address: affordability, life cycle of come from 39 states and six countries. California is the buildings and the inhabitants, reuse over time. With 16 ON COMMON GROUND

Glenwood Park, we were trying to address as many as we Will that pitch work? In many places it’s already work- conceivably could.” ing, says Brown. “I used to think, I’m going to do green Will people buy it? because I want to do it,” adding that he did expect to In the U.S., few innovations succeed unless they can receive some positive attention from both the public thrive in the marketplace. Green neighborhoods are no and the regulatory community. “But more and more, exception, Farr acknowledges. “If you’re a REALTOR® green is ‘in,’ and I do think there is a large and growing and you’re trying to sell a green neighborhood, you’re market. In the market I want to work with, the creative making a very different pitch from what we’re used to. types, it is very important. It’s almost more of a question It’s not granite countertops, or larger closets. It’s talking of, if you don’t do it, what section of the market are you about a place of choices. You want to stay home and losing? And that’s only going to grow in the future.” ● work, there’s stuff to do. If you want to age in peace David A. Goldberg is the communications director and don’t want to mow your lawn, there’s a place you for Smart Growth America, a nationwide coalition can move to. If you’re just starting out and don’t want based in Washington, D.C. that advocates for land- use policy reform. In 2002, Mr. Goldberg was award- to spend your money on a car, you can use a shared car ed a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University, where he and transit, or walk.” studied urban policy. Glenwood Park will plant more than 1,000 trees and thousands of other plants, ﬂowers and shrubs creating shade and beauty for residents, while also signiﬁcantly reducing heat island effects. SUMMER 2008 17

GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE “Infrastructure: the substructure or underlying foundation…on which the continuance and growth of a community or state depends.” – Webster’s New World Dictionary By Brad Broberg F reeways and forests. Bridges and bogs. Pow- delivering essential eco-services—a.k.a. green infrastruc- er lines and pastures. ture—demands a far more strategic approach than saving Gray or green, it’s all infrastructure—at least a wetland here or preserving woodlands there, he said. that’s the mindset of a growing segment of McMahon ought to know. As co-author (with Mark Bene- the planning community, from Alaska to dict) of Green Infrastructure: Linking Landscapes and Commu- South Carolina. nities, he literally wrote the book on green infrastructure. Think about it, said Ed McMahon, senior resident fel- While there’s more than one take on green infrastruc- low for sustainable development at the Urban Land ture—many people use the term to describe engineered Institute. If infrastructure is what society counts on systems such as green roofs, porous pavement and rain to provide essential services, why shouldn’t the green gardens—McMahon considers planning and conserva- stuff—trees that scrub the air, streams that filter run- tion to be the movement’s meat and potatoes. off, fields that produce food—be mentioned in the same His formal definition: an interconnected network of open breath as the gray stuff? space that conserves natural ecosystem values and func- Don’t get McMahon wrong. By and large, trees, streams tions, and provides associated benefits to human popula- and fields are part of most conversations about planning tions. His informal definition: smart conservation. and development—just not for the right reason. Defined that way, green infrastructure becomes a power- Most people appreciate the beauty and the recreational val- ful engine for smart growth, providing a framework for ue of open space. What they fail to recognize, said McMa- planners to decide where growth should occur by first hon, is the nuts-and-bolts role open space plays in everyday deciding—in a very strategic way—where it shouldn’t, life, and the need to plan for it with as much foresight as said McMahon. Curbing sprawl, encouraging clustered when laying out streets, sewers or power lines. development and limiting the need to build gray infra- “It’s underpinning our society the same way as a road,” structure are just some of the smart growth goals that he said. “It isn’t just an amenity. It’s a necessity.” green infrastructure supports. Does that distinction really matter? McMahon believes An example of green infrastructure in action is the El Paso it does. Ensuring that the environment can continue Open Space Plan. By looking at the community’s green 18 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

people get the, ‘Ah ha,’ moment,” he said. “I think it has helped push things forward.” Smart growth and green infrastructure are “two sides of the same coin,” writes McMahon in “Green Infrastruc- ture: Smart Conservation for the 21st Century,” a paper he co-authored with Benedict. As communities strive to make better use of existing infrastructure and encourage more compact, walkable, mixed-use development, green infrastructure is precisely the right tool to shape where growth will go, writes McMahon. Besides being smart, green infrastructure can increase the desirability of surrounding land. “There’s proof on the ground that smart growth and green infrastructure can sell real estate and make better communities,” said Bill Kre- New York City is familiar with the beneﬁts successful green infrastructure provides. spaces through the lens of green infrastructure, El Paso was better able to identify areas that ought to be left un- disturbed as well as areas more suitable for development. Another example is New York City’s approach to upgrading its water treatment plants. Instead of spending $6-$8 billion to build new plants intended to meet future requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, the city spent $1.5 billion to buy land in the Catskills and protect the watershed from degradation in the ﬁrst place. Although the green infrastructure argument challenges conventional planning practices, it is proving to be an effective way to address issues of growth and conservation in harmony, said McMahon. “When you can identify a lot of things and solidify them around one concept, Ensuring that the environment can continue delivering essential eco-services demands a strategic approach. 19

ager, a principal at Mithun, a Seattle architecture, design In many ways, Maryland was well ahead of the curve and planning ﬁrm that specializes in green projects. with long-standing open space and farmland preserva- Green infrastructure may be a relatively new term, but tion programs. But the land was being preserved with it’s not a novel concept. Landscape architect Frederick little consideration of its contribution to the overall eco- Law Olmstead designed networks of connected parks system. “We couldn’t say we were spending the money 100 years ago. And wildlife biologists have long known strategically,” said Bill Jenkins. that linking parks and preserves with natural corri- Jenkins, now with the Environmental Protection Agen- dors—or habitat highways—is the best way to protect cy, was in charge of landscape and watershed analysis native plants and animals. with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Still, it wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the term green when the state decided to rethink its conservation ef- infrastructure emerged as part of statewide planning efforts. “What we wanted to do was identify areas of the forts in Florida—the Florida Statewide Greenways Sys- state worth preserving, from an ecosystem perspective,” tem—and Maryland—the GreenPrint program. he said. Maryland followed what has become the template for green infrastructure planning. First, it identiﬁed green hubs—sweeping areas hundreds of acres in size and vital to maintaining the state’s ecology. Then it connected the green hubs with green links—ribbons of land such as stream val- leys and ridge lines that function as habitat highways. Today, the GreenPrint program steers public and private preservation efforts toward a system of hubs and links that support essential eco-services in ways that isolated fragments cannot. It’s all about the whole being greater—and greener—than the sum of its parts. Green infrastructure is an effective way to address issues of growth and conservation in harmony. 20 ON COMMON GROUND

Green infrastructure is open space that is working for you— it’s providing essential services. The 30,000-acre Kettle Moraine State Park features woodlands and prairies—one of the largest open spaces in the Chicago area. “Green infrastructure is open space, but think of it as open space that is working for you,” said Jenkins. “It is providing you with essential services. That’s where the term infrastructure helps.” Chicago Wilderness, a public/private consortium working to protect natural ecosystems in the Chicago region, developed a Green Infrastructure Vision that identified 1.8 million acres as resource protection areas. The nearly 2 million acres are within a 6 million-acre band that stretches across three states—Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. The resulting map provides a blueprint for connecting and conserving the large areas—500 acres and up—that represent the region’s remaining green infrastructure, said Dennis Dreher, a planner and engineer who was the project manager. What’s not on the agenda is stopping all development throughout the entire 1.8 million acres, Dreher added. More than 360,000 of those acres are already protected as natural public lands. The Green Infrastructure Vision identifies opportunities to add to and tie together those areas, while also recognizing that development will occur in and around them. The vision suggests specific protection strategies for each area that includes accommodating growth where growth is inevitable. Take the 30,000-acre Kettle Moraine in SUMMER 2008 21

Wisconsin. Featuring woodlands, savannas, wetlands the capper is that all of the open space is adjacent to a and prairies, it represents one of the largest open spaces 2,500-acre preserve, making it part of a larger function- in the Chicago region. ing ecosystem. While many parts of the Kettle Moraine are already Unlike GreenPrint in Maryland, the Green Infrastruc- protected, the Green Infrastructure Vision recommends ture Vision developed by Chicago Wilderness is not tied protecting additional areas through acquisition, con- to any state or county conservation programs. Instead, servation easements and conservation development—a it relies on local and regional decision-makers to weave way of regulating development that allows growth while the vision into their planning and conservation efforts. at the same time protecting important natural features. According to Dreher, Chicago Wilderness currently is What does conservation development look like? Prai- working with the seven-county Chicago Metropolitan rie Crossing is a 362-home conservation development Agency for Planning to incorporate green infrastructure northwest of Chicago. The homes are located on a small into a new regional plan. portion of the site’s 667 acres, leaving 350 acres of open The same scenario is unfolding on a smaller scale in space. That’s a step toward green infrastructure, but South Carolina, where the Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) published Keeping It Green In and around Chicago, area residents work together to manage and conserve green areas. Natural green infrastructure is a lot cheaper than building gray infrastructure. 22 ON COMMON GROUND

in the Midlands, a green infrastructure vision for a four- county region. When Joe Ryan was asked to lead the project, the senior planner said, “Great. What’s green infrastructure?” “It took me a while to get my head around it,” he recalled. Since publishing an initial report and map introducing the concept, Ryan is sold on the green infrastructure ap- Green infrastructure and land-use planning: proach to conservation and planning. “It certainly does • Ensures that both green space and development are make sense,” he said. placed where most needed and appropriate. Now it’s a matter of bringing local decision-makers on • Identiﬁes vital ecological areas and linkages prior to board. “The horse has left the barn,” Ryan said. “If we don’t development in suburban and rural landscapes. do something now, it will be too late in 10 or 20 years.” • Identiﬁes opportunities for the restoration and en- The timeframe may not be quite as tight in Alaska, but hancement of naturally functioning systems in al- the Matanuska-Susitna Borough—a county the size of ready developed areas. West Virginia—isn’t taking any chances. Located northeast of Anchorage, the borough is working on a plan that • Enables communities to create a vision that is greater will identify exactly where green infrastructure needs to than the sum of its parts. be preserved, said Frankie Barker, an environmental • Enables conservation and development to be planned planner with the borough. in harmony, not in opposition to each other. Although vast tracts are protected by the state and fed- From: “Green Infrastructure: Smart Conservation for the eral governments, local conservation efforts have lagged 21st Century,” by Mark Benedict and Ed McMahon. and linkages are not well protected—hence the need for a green infrastructure plan, said Barker. Brad Broberg is a Seattle-based freelance writer spe- “We’re very fortunate that we still have most of our natu- cializing in business and development issues. His work ral green infrastructure,” Barker said. “If we can keep it, appears regularly in the Puget Sound Business Journal it’s a lot cheaper than building gray infrastructure.” ● and the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce. SUMMER 2008 23

Marketing a Sustainable Future REALTORS ® Connect Buyers with Energy Saving Homes. By Steve Wright W ith soaring energy prices and Norris said even if gasoline spirals above five dollars a shrinking pocketbooks abound- gallon and the price of heating/cooling energy contin- ing, sustainability can have a dif- ues to skyrocket, homeowners won’t go broke—they’ll ferent meaning to every different simply learn to adapt. person—ranging from the sim- “Spray foam insulation, energy-efficient windows, solar plistic to the transcendental. energy, tankless water heaters, energy-star appliances Whether sustainability means checking for energy leaks and high-efficiency HVAC systems are available to own- around that craggy old front door, or adopting practices ers of new homes as well as old homes. The combination to safeguard the planet far into the next centuries for of these technologies permits us to create zero energy future generations, REALTORS® across the nation are homes,” he said. “The big change will not come from taking major steps to help their clients go “green.” self-interest in the seventh generation, it will come from an economic self interest.” REALTOR® Nathan Norris—director of marketing and design for The Waters, a new urbanist community on Alexandria, Virginia REALTOR® Candace Lightner, the fringe of Montgomery, Ala.—believes in a holistic a world-renowned opinion leader who responded to approach to sustainability. a family tragedy by founding Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), is now at the forefront of helping “In our development, we regularly sell people on the buyers become more energy efficient. value of high-efficiency windows, spray foam insulation, metal roofs and tankless water heaters,” he said. The sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential “High-efficiency HVAC systems have been harder [to Brokerage gives each buyer a free home energy audit, a sell]—nonetheless, 20 percent of our first 100 homes process valued at $350. had geo-thermal heating and cooling.” “I was trying to think of ways that would set me apart from “Essentially, our clientele look at the long-term ramifica- other REALTORS®,” she said. “I discussed the concept of tions of their decisions. We did an energy audit on the an energy audit and told my buyers if they waited until the first two years of utility bills and we used the conclusions close of escrow, it would be my gift to them.” drawn from that analysis to educate prospective buyers The audit takes about two and a half hours and focuses on the items they should include in their homes.” on identifying major energy leaks in a house. Techni- Norris believes that sustainability includes energy effi- cians measure everything from gaps around doors and ciency within a house’s walls plus a walkable, traditional windows to whether insulation has been properly in- neighborhood development. stalled in attics, basements and crawl spaces. “To me, sustainability means doing things that make The homeowner receives a report that identifies prob- sense over the long run,” he said. “In 1998, I first heard lems and explains how to fix them. of the Native American principle that we owe a duty to “Most people here are doing remodeling,” said Light- ensure the survival of the seventh generation beyond us. ner, who worked on an efficiency project with the U.S. It was wise a long time ago, and it still is today.” Department of Energy and started addressing problems 24 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

Sustainability means doing things REALTOR® Mike Kiefer , Certified EcoBroker®, evaluates that make sense over the long run. homes for energy efficiency. in her own 60-plus-year-old house in old Alexandria. “If portunity for REALTORS® to sharpen their focus and you plan on being in the home a number of years and if add to the crucial information they supply to clients. you’re already remodeling, you can do a retrofit to boost “Most consumers are qualified based upon credit and are energy efficiency.” given a picture of PITI as part of owning. But from my Lightner said when going green, it’s best to speak in experience, I know of very few REALTORS® that ever plain English. mention the costs of utilities or home maintenance,” he “We’re doing REALTOR® roundtable discussions said. “Even though utility bills are a reflection of lifestyle around the country and most REALTORS® are some- use, I think it would ultimately be useful for consum- what aware of the issue of green or energy efficiency and ers/homebuyers to be able to review utility bills before they are interested in it, but they don’t know what to placing an offer on a home. It is very important for condo next,” she said. “We asked ‘how many of your cli- sumers, when working with a REALTOR®, to ask about ents are interested in energy efficiency?’ and no hands go such matters and request copies. As you can imagine, up. Then we ask ‘how many are concerned about utility when that first month rolls around and the gas/elec- bills?’ and the hands go up—the light bulb goes on.” tric/water bills start rolling in—you begin to realize that owning a home is so much more than PITI.” Instead of talking about sustainability and hard science, Lightner suggests REALTORS® talk to consumers about To reduce automobile dependency, Green DC Realty making homes healthier and safer, as well as more com- gives its clients a Zipcar membership and mileage vouch- fortable, cost effective and durable. er. Zipcar members can rent automobiles by the day or hour from many urban locations. Zipcar supplements “Green sounds too far out there,” she said. “Energy effi- public transit with individual automobiles available for a cient is more interesting, more something you can touch.” fraction of the cost of car payment, maintenance, insur- REALTOR® Michael Kiefer—founder and principal of ance and fuel. Green DC Realty, an affiliate of Keller Williams Realty “I look at efficiency as being more than just the home. It’s Capital Properties in the Washington D.C.-Maryland about evaluating the consumer’s current life and seeing area—said sustainability requires buyers to look at a where cost effective, efficient improvements can be made,” bigger picture. he said. “In the Metro area, we have ride-sharing firms that “I believe we are in an era when we will see oil rise to take the hassle out of owning a car. I continually look at $200 a barrel in the near future,” he observed. “I think ways of providing home ownership through the removal of part of the problem I am seeing is that the consumer is inefficient expenditures and proving incentives to the con- not entirely sure where to start. Purchasing a home for sumer through [Zipcar] vouchers as part of the purchase.” many is a challenging matter filled with lots of anxiety San Francisco, known as a hotbed of progressive think- and since for many it is their first home, they have not ing and acting for nearly a half century, actually has a been trained to think about what I refer to as the exter- fairly small inventory of green houses. nal costs of owning a home.” REALTOR® Chris Bartle, president and broker of Green Kiefer said the shrinking energy supply and rising cost Key Real Estate, aims to boost the number of green homes doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom—it can be an opin the City by the Bay as well as nationwide. 25

REALTOR® Tricia Jumonville get calls from buyers who have an allergy to formalde- is known as the Texas “agent hyde or a certain pesticide. Now there are a lot of new with the horse sense,” helping clients with both urban and products that don’t give off any harmful emissions.” rural properties. Bartle’s brokerage recruits highly educated people from a diverse background and makes sure all of them get EcoBroker® training. EcoBroker® is an on-line training course that allows REALTORS® to attain green certification. (For more information on EcoBroker®, please see the story “Seeking Green” on page 28 in this issue.) “We’re certified green-building specialists—we want our agents to be greenest of the green. We’re in classes learning from architects and builders,” he said. “We’re also very interested in teaching buyers how to green their homes. We look at green as being equivalent to high-end property.” “REALTORS® have great influence on the spending patterns of their clients. The greening of houses has only been going on a few years. To introduce best practices to our buyers, we need more data,” said Bartle, whose firm gives buyers a certificate for a home energy efficiency and air quality analysis worth $250. That’s not a hard sell—you make a Bartle, whose mission is to make San Francisco the most sustainable city in the world, will soon open branches $10,000 investment now and make of Green Key Real Estate in other parts of Northern it back in five or 10 years. California as well as Seattle, Portland, Ore. and Boulder, Colo. The ultimate goal is to sell Green Key franchises “We’re a mission-driven company. Of course we’re about to like-minded brokers across the United States. selling houses and making money, but we’re also about Janet Rosenberg, a REALTOR® with Intero Real Estate increasing the inventory of green homes,” he said. Services in Santa Cruz, Ca., lists her EcoBroker® certi- Bartle’s firm works with Build It Green, a California fication when signing her e-mails—before the essential nonprofit, to promote green building and green remod- office, mobile and fax numbers. eling. He also notes that the California Association of “REALTORS® are in the perfect position to educate REALTORS® has a Green Task Force to raise member people, and entire communities for that matter, on how awareness on environmental issues, green the associa- to make homes more energy efficient,” she said. “The tion’s business practices, and create alliances with other reason for this is that in our profession we are talking to organizations on green issues. homebuyers and home sellers every day, and we’re also “In an old home, if the client is concerned about energy touring homes regularly. With our background as Certi- efficiency, the solution includes double-paned windows fied EcoBrokers®, Intero Real Estate can offer not only and energy-efficient appliances. That’s not a hard sell— suggestions on ways to improve a home’s efficiency, but you make a $10,000 investment now and make it back ways to reduce utility bills.” in five or 10 years,” Bartle explained. Rosenberg integrated her EcoBroker® training into her two Bartle said sustainable housing goes far beyond a capital offices by forming a green business network called Green investment in energy efficiency. Performance Network (GPN). The network includes ap- “People are thinking about indoor air quality, people are praisers, builders, inspectors, landscapers, material suppliers, thinking of their families,” he said. “A lot of building lenders and other professionals who have gone green. materials, finish materials, paints, varnish, sealers and “I found that I wanted to refer my clients to local busi- cabinetry with particle board held together with formal- nesses that offered green products and services, and I dehyde—have toxic elements. That’s not just a horrible needed to know who those folks were,” she said. She paint smell, it’s a chemical that isn’t good for you. We offers GPN members a free half-page ad in the GPN di- 26 ON COMMON GROUND

REALTORS® are in the perfect position to educate people on how to make homes more energy efficient. one of each locally to add to my team of home inspectors, mortgage lenders, contractors and others to serve clients.” rectory, which is distributed to clients and in businesses To delve more deeply into holistic sustainability, Ju- throughout Santa Cruz. monville suggests REALTORS® pick up a copy of ar- “This makes my company very visible in the ‘green’ chitect Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language. front, and it builds a referral network back to us.” The groundbreaking 1977 book, in its own words, deals with “the large-scale structure of the environment: the Every six weeks, Rosenberg hosts public events that in- growth of town and country, the layout of roads and vite community members to introduce themselves and paths, the relationship between work and family, the tell about their product or service. Everyone passes out formation of suitable public institutions for a neigh- business cards. borhood, the kinds of public space required to support “Obviously, I hope that when people are making a deci- these institutions.” sion about Real Estate, they will come to Intero Real Jumonville, whose e-mail includes a picture of herself Estate Services for help,” she said. “Additionally, we with her horse, notes that sustainability reaches beyond teach Intero Community Classes in my office—taught the urban core and suburbs. by EcoBrokers® and open to the public. The classes cov- er topics such as ‘Sustainable Building Showcase’ and “I’m working not only on urban issues but rural issues— ‘Green Living Seminar.’” how to make your horse property more environmentally sustainable. For example, it’s just as important to site the For REALTOR® Tricia Jumonville, a self described “old barn correctly on the property as it is the house. Rain- hippie,” sustainability has been woven into her life as far water harvesting for livestock watering is a no-brainer back as she can remember. and using soil biology versus fertilizer/weedkiller is more “An astute REALTOR® can always help a buyer or seller sustainable long term,” she said. “I’m constantly looking find affordable ways to add to the sustainability factor for rebates and other benefits that the utility companies of more traditional construction,” said Jumonville, who and city, state and federal government offer for clients works for ERA Colonial Real Estate in rural Texas about interested in upgrading their new or existing home to a long hour’s drive out of progressive Austin. “You can’t more sustainable standards.” ● change the way an existing building is placed on the lot, for example, but you can add rainwater harvesting ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: systems, solar attributes, screening that helps with the www.thewatersal.com energy demands for cooling, landscaping to decrease en- www.cbmove.com/candace.lightner ergy usage and quite a few other affordable aftermarket www.greendcrealty.com tweaks that will increase sustainability of even tradition- www.greenkeyrealestate.com al construction.” www.interorealestate.com “Clearly, energy auditors are going to be an important www.TexasHorseAndHome.com partner in the real estate professional’s life in the future. Wright frequently writes about smart growth and As will lenders familiar with the energy-efficient loans that sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a re- are available and make sustainability more affordable for stored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Ha- the average person,” she added. “I’m currently looking for vana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com SUMMER 2008 27

SEEKING GREEN REALTOR® Associations provide a helping hand to achieve sustainability. By Steve Wright N Rainwater harvesting ot that long ago, if a buyer asked a is one of the many REALTOR® to search for a green environmental house, it could have meant only practices members two things—the shade of paint, or a of Seattle’s TREC promote. glassed in structure perfect for growing flowers and vegetables. Now green means environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient, healthy and sustainable. And, as more and more buyers are seeking homes with everything from better air quality and insulation to solar power and rain catch basins, REALTORS® are recognizing Consumer demand for sustainability the need to be knowledgeable about going “green,” as a way has also prompted companies to to grow both their client base and sales commissions. To separate the junk science from best practices, a num- create coursework and certification ber of large regional REALTOR® Associations are creat- programs for REALTORS®. ing green councils, trainings, conferences, certification procedures and partnerships. Consumer demand for sustainability has also prompted companies to create coursework and certification programs for REALTORS®. “We have developed a brochure, Green Living: A Re- source Guide for Residents of King County,” said Russell Hokanson, CEO of the Seattle King County Associa- tion of REALTORS® (SKCAR). The brochure is available on SKCAR’s Web site, and members are encouraged to provide a copy to new homeowners. “The brochure provides valuable information and resources relating to energy efficiency inside and outside of homes, improv- ing vehicle fuel economy, recycling, calculating carbon footprints and other valuable green tips.” Members of Seattle’s TREC take a day to plant trees in the SKCAR partners with a local instructor to offer a class- Hylebos Wetlands. room course—Green Cities & Housing. It also is col- laborating with the Independent Brokers Association to offer a new course—Selling Green Homes. 28 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

EcoBroker® Inter- national team in Evergreen, Colo. Front row left to right: Kyndal Lee, Vicki Rosa, Linda Besler, Jennifer Shank, Kim Young. Back row left to right: John Beldock, Ryan Moehring, Mark Gashler, John Stovall “Our association lobbies state and local officials for jobs- “The project at the Hylebos (a watershed conserva- housing balance. Recognizing that one-half of all green- tion area) was the first such project to be undertaken house gas (GHG) comes from transportation, one of the by TREC…[Hylebos] is one of the outstanding envi- best approaches to address climate change is to lobby for ronmental assets in the entire Pacific Northwest and jobs-housing balance. This concept advocates for hous- the Friends of the Hylebos, with whom we partnered ing opportunities near employment centers.” Hokan- on this project, have a superb reputation for their en- son said of the necessity to combine smart growth with vironmental remediation and enhancement efforts. green housing: “Jobs-housing balance helps prevent The REALTORS® would not be content to only sprawl, provides housing opportunities for workers near talk about the environment and raise funds for en- their jobs and greatly reduces the vehicle miles traveled vironmental projects, as some environmental efforts and GHG.” have done…As part of our local board’s centennial SKCAR conceived and created The REALTORS® En- celebration, this fall TREC will work on the ground vironmental Council (TREC), an organization pending or provide environmental stewardship to improve a nonprofit status that Hokanson believes is the first of its significant greenbelt or park within King County.” kind in the nation. In his words, TREC was created to: (3) Enhance REALTOR® understanding of environ- (1) Improve the congruence between public perceptions mental issues, particularly as they relate to regula- and the fact that the REALTORS® are sensitive to, tion, conservation, enhancement and remediation and supportive of, well-grounded and responsible that affect the sustainability, utilization and develop- environmental stewardship. ment of real property. “Many folks don’t know that the REALTORS® are “This is being accomplished through state-approved a founding member of the Washington Wildlife and clock-hour classes REALTORS® must complete in Recreation Coalition and for many, many years have order to renew their real estate licenses.” annually contributed thousands of dollars to the (4) Develop and provide to REALTORS® brandable Coalition’s efforts to secure environmental and rec- point-of-sale brochures that members can download reation project funding for jurisdictions throughout and use with clients and customers. Washington State. “For instance, ‘How To Be An Earth-Friendly Ho- The TREC is a natural fit with our strong support meowner,’ [which can] be downloaded from the for schools, infrastructure and housing, which—like SKCAR Web site at http://www.nwrealtor.com/as- a quality environment—are all prerequisites for qual- sociations/1563/files/TREC.cfm.” ity of life.” (5) Undertake the advancement of important environmen- (2) Accomplish projects that provide on-the-ground tal policies, and/or environmental projects, that other benefits for the environment. environmental organizations have failed to undertake. 29

Members of TREC learn ways to preserve and restore the North Fork open space of the Hylebos Wetlands. We wanted to help our members understand that this is where the market is going. Hokanson also strongly believes that association • High-efficiency 90 AFUE furnaces. boards should work to add green information to • Energy Star appliances. their area Multiple Listing Service. Agents can high- light green features for homes that meet third-party • Source of electrical power, including specific utility certifications for Built Green®, Energy Star® and service and solar features. LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental • Additional home modifications, including sustainable Design) standards. materials, water filters, rain collectors and solar tubes. There are checkboxes for identifying energy-efficient When the RMLS rolled out green features for its list- heating and cooling systems including solar and for ings in Oregon and Southwest Washington, it empha- renewable floor coverings such as bamboo or cork. sized the industry-wide benefits: In a listing’s details about the house lot, a REAL- • Homebuyers, 78 percent of whom say they would TOR® can note sustainable features such as drought- choose one home over another based on its energy ef- resistant landscaping. ficiency, will be able to search for homes with lower Recently, The Northwest Multiple Listing Service, energy costs and environmental impact. Four out of the largest full-service MLS in the Pacific Northwest, five of the same homebuyers recognize the value of the added information on sustainability to its database. Energy Star label and 67 percent of them recognize the In Portland, Ore., the Regional Multiple Listing Ser- Earth Advantage brand. vice (RMLS) introduced green listings to much fan- • Home builders, nine of 10 saying they incorporate en- fare in 2007. ergy-saving products or features into new homes, will “Green and energy-efficient features have emerged be able to differentiate themselves from the compe- as some of the most important and sought-after by tition at a time when the market is cooling. Accord- buyers in our RMLS service area,” said RMLS CEO ing to a recent survey by the National Association of Beth Murphy. “With the help of their REALTORS®, Home Builders (NAHB), 64 percent of home builders homebuyers now will be able to pinpoint homes with will either be heavily or moderately involved nation- those features.” ally in green building projects. The RMLS forms include details such as: • Home sellers, who have invested money into energy- • Home performance and green home certifications such saving and sustainability features, can better promote as Energy Star®, Earth Advantage®, LEED for Homes their home’s higher resale value. and others. 30 ON COMMON GROUND

• Real estate agents have new ways to better meet their • Energy efficiency technologies, sustainable energy op- clients’ needs whether representing the buyer or seller. tions and mortgage options that award up to $15,000 Seventy-five percent of those consumers that have used worth of energy efficiency improvements for a home at a REALTOR® in the past confirmed that they would the closing. Green home certification programs, such turn to a “green” REALTOR® if there was a mecha- as Built Green® and Energy Star® Qualified Homes. nism for searching and tracking homes built to energy • Energy and environmental training that can add value efficient and green building measures. to transactions with consumers both green-minded • Appraisers will grow in their ability to incorporate en- and not green-aware. Identifying new markets where ergy efficient and green home features into a home’s the EcoBroker® Designation will have appeal and im- appraised value. pact, generating more business. SKCAR is also an advocate of the EcoBroker® certi- EcoBroker® Vice President John K. Stovall was a fea- fication program, developed by Dr. John Beldock, tured presenter at the Vermont Association of REAL- former director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s TORS® (VAR) 2007 statewide convention, which fo- Environmental Analysis Program. cused on going green. Beldock, currently president and CEO of EcoBro- Robert D. Hill, executive vice president of the VAR, ker®, calls it “the first and only international provider said that, “when the Legislature spent the entire session of green designation training that provides a unique last year on global warming and attempted to institute energy and environmental curriculum to licensed real mandatory energy efficiency standards on all housing, it estate professionals, leading to the EcoBroker® desig- was a natural opportunity to make sure our members are nation.” conversant with the concepts and adequately prepared There are certified EcoBrokers® in 42 states, four Ca- to respond to customers who are looking for green real nadian Provinces and the Caribbean. Based in Ever- estate. We wanted to help our members understand that green, Colo., outside Denver, EcoBroker®’s accredited this is where the market is going and not just a ‘nerdy coursework consists of three six-hour on-line classes. idea,’ so they should be professionally primed to provide Topics include: assistance when their clients ask.” • Constructively addressing environmental issues such VAR has also worked with Smart Growth Vermont on as radon, asbestos, lead, water, mold and indoor air a project to demonstrate that well-planned communi- quality. Reducing liabilities and saving deals by learn- ties can fit the Vermont landscape. However, Hill said, ing to work through environmental issues. acceptance of the concept is moving slowly due to strin- REALTORS® can also be instrumental in showing clients how green improvements can increase the value of their investment. SUMMER 2008 31

Green and energy -efficient features have emerged as some of the most important and sought-after by buyers. gent permitting processes. But even if some government • 78 percent of Americans who have bought property codes are slow to adapt, he said, the bottom line is that say nobody talked to them about energy efficiency. green is here to stay. He feels REALTORS® should em- • 62 percent of people want energy efficient dwellings. brace the change. • 63 percent say energy prices have increased enough to “Just as REALTORS® have been at the forefront of edu- make them consider changing their consumption habits. cating homebuyers and sellers on the hazards and miti- gations of lead paint, they can also be instrumental in “Actually, 95 percent of the consumers have no clue what showing clients how green improvements can increase is available for them,” Mitchell said of green building the value of their investment,” Hill said. materials, energy efficient appliances and other means toward sustainability. “It is their REALTOR® who The green turning point for Tampa Florida-based Kerry needs to educate them. REALTORS® can effect [green] Mitchell was when she was diagnosed with emphysema change faster than any other profession. They represent in 2003. She came to Florida in 2005 to manage two the built structure!” real estate offices and started to read about poor indoor air quality and related topics. Mitchell has conducted trainings for the Sarasota As- sociation of REALTORS® (SAR). In 2007, SAR formed She took a year off and founded Green Real Estate Educa- the Green REALTORS® Alliance of Sarasota (GRAS), tion in 2006. In a little more than a year her firm has “green which operates as a steering committee. certified” more than 3,000 professionals in nine states. “The mission of the Green REALTORS® Alliance of Sara- “We train our students to learn of local initiatives from sota is to be a resource for the preservation of our environ- utilities and to get involved in promoting MLS addi- ment and natural resources as it pertains to real estate. The tions for energy efficiency and fast track permitting (for premise of the group is that being a good steward of the green building),” said Mitchell, whose students earn a environment and the community is good for real estate and Green Certified Real Estate Professional certification. future development,” said Catherine L. McCaskill, director The program utilizes local utility and green-standard of professional development for SAR. experts, keeping its training relevant to REALTORS®’ home states. “Sarasota County has a long and proud history of progressive governance in protecting our natural resources Mitchell said green branding can help revitalize sluggish and leads the state in green building initiatives. This real estate markets. Underscoring the need for REAL- county gave birth to the Florida Green Building Coali- TORS® to become knowledgeable about sustainability, tion and has the largest ‘green’ development in the U.S., Mitchell cited a Consumer Energy Study by www.ener- Lakewood Ranch,” she continued. gypulse.org that found: • 86 percent of Americans would choose one home over Lakewood Ranch, a 7,000-acre master-planned con- another based on energy efficiency. servation community, has won Florida Association of 32 ON COMMON GROUND

REALTORS® “ENVY” awards for both its residential area and historic waterfront Lido Key, making the con- and commercial components. ENVYs honor developers nection between urban redevelopment, preservation of who make a signiﬁcant contribution toward building in the environment, and future real estate opportunities.” ● harmony with Florida’s sensitive environment. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: “Every new [Lakewood Ranch] home is certiﬁed by the www.nwrealtor.com Florida Green Building Coalition Green Home Stan- www.ecobroker.com dard,” McCaskill noted, adding that new residents are www.greenrealestateeducation.com often attracted to Sarasota because of the county’s anti- www.sarasotarealtors.com sprawl and anti-waste initiatives. www.lakewoodranch.com www.vtrealtor.com McCaskill praised Sarasota County for passing legislation www.rmls.com that limits lawn watering to once per week and requires sod to be less than half of any landscaped area. In addi- Wright frequently writes about smart growth and tion, the county has a strict water conservation ordinance sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a re- for golf courses and conservation water rate structures. stored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Ha- vana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com These measures have resulted in a per-capita water usage that is 40 percent lower than the rest of the state. To bolster these efforts, SAR held a Smart Growth Con- ference in conjunction with the Florida Association of REALTORS® and Florida Atlantic University in 2006. “Augmenting the information presented by speakers, commissioners from the city of Sarasota took conference participants on a guided tour by trolley of the downtown REALTORS® can effect [green] change faster than any other profession. From left to right: REALTORS® Kristen Greenlaw, David Crowell and Jim Luckey en- joyed their experience restor- ing the Hylebos Wetlands. SUMMER 2008 33

Two-Wh e e l e d Sustainability By Barbara McCann W hen REALTOR® Matt Kolb meets with a client to show properties in and around Boulder, Colo., they often leave the car in the parking lot and ride bicycles from house to house. “People get a new perspective from slowing the process down,” says Kolb, “Riding through neighborhoods, they see things more like they would once they actually live in the neighborhood.” Kolb is so excited about showing via bicycle that he and his partner established a firm for that purpose. Pedal to Properties is a full service firm, but specializes in showing homes via “cruiser” bikes—comfortable, fat-tired bicycles that are famously easy to ride. Kolb and his partner are currently looking to expand into other markets. The firm is just one indication that bicycles are wheeling their way into the consciousness of Americans searching for ways to live more sustainably. Commercially successful bicycling innovations and changing development patterns have helped make bicycles ‘cool.’ In some areas, bikeability is as sought after as walkability. Shifting Gears: From Recreation to Transportation Bicycling provides the same health, social and environmental benefits as walking, but has one big advantage Bicycling provides the same health, over simple shoe leather—people can go much farther much faster, increasing the places they can reach with- social and environmental benefits as out climbing into a car or waiting for the bus. A rule walking, but has one big advantage of thumb used by designers of transit-oriented developments is that people are willing to walk a quarter mile over simple shoe leather—people to reach a transit stop—maybe half a mile if they are can go much farther much faster. truly motivated. In contrast, a one- or two-mile bicycle ride takes approximately the same amount of time, and 34 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

Pedal To Properties of Boulder, Colo., gives potential buyers the opportunity to travel by bicycle to prospective homes and properties. requires less effort. (Unless there happens to be a steep “The bicycle is a simple solution to some of those com- hill along the way.) plex problems,” says Rebecca Anderson, Advocacy Di- For many years, bicycles have been seen primarily as a rector for the Trek Bicycle Corporation. “Forty percent recreational vehicle. Bicycling for transportation, partic- of car trips are less than two miles. That is easily, clearly, ularly for commuting, has been limited to two groups: a bikeable distance.” Low-income workers who have no other way to reach Trek, the largest American bicycle manufacturer, is fo- a job, and a smaller group of usually highly-educated, cusing on trips under two miles in its campaign, “One high-income individuals. The latter often ride for rec- World, Two Wheels.” The campaign seeks to increase reation as well. For both groups, the ability to bike to the percentage of short trips made by bicycle in the work has long been a factor in deciding where to live. United States from one percent to five percent by 2017. But the portion of all workers getting to work by bike Americans make 65 percent of their very short trips, has remained well under one percent in most cities. those under a mile, in their cars. These short trips are That percentage is starting to increase. The number of also the most inefficient, as ‘cold starts’ burn more gaso- participants in Bike to Work Day events, usually held line and emit more pollutants. in May, has grown from the hundreds to the thousands. “The concept of bike use for short trips seems more The Denver metropolitan region, which includes Boul- prominent and more fashionable,” says Tim Blumen- der, experienced a 14 percent surge in participation last thal, head of the bicycle industry group, Bikes Belong. year alone, with 21,000 registered participants—7,500 “The bike is a positive symbol of independence, free- of them commuting by bike for the first time. About dom, spontaneity and fun. It stands for something, for half of Americans already live within five miles of their making your own decision, for doing what you want workplaces, a perfect distance for a bike commute. when you want to do it.” The U.S. bicycle industry, long focused on recreation, Cyclists at all levels of skill and experience are advocat- is producing more bicycles designed for transportation ing for more bike-friendly cities. Lance Armstrong, not- and commuting. It’s also shifting how it markets those ing the urban renaissance underway in his hometown of bikes, taking into consideration rising gas prices and Austin, Texas, recently told the Austin-American States- obesity rates, as well as global warming. man, “This city is exploding downtown. Are all these 35

people in high rises going to drive everywhere? We have In addition, Portland requires secure indoor bicycle to promote (bike) commuting.” parking in new residential buildings. Developers are The five-time Tour de France champion is in the process even beginning to market new homes based on bicycling of opening a bicycle store in Austin. The shop will cater amenities. Portland-based Realty Trust Group is devel- to commuters and everyday riders, not just racers. oping a number of condominium buildings marketed to cyclists and those who want to make cycling part of their Connecting New and Existing Development daily life. The signature image of the South Waterfront The trend toward compact development is another con- development is a bicycle commuter, coffee cup in hand, tributing factor to the increased popularity of bicycling. As speeding along a waterfront bicycle trail. people move into new, mixed-use developments, they can reach more of their destinations by foot. But decades of Realty Trust promotes another of its projects with an ad spread-out development mean many destinations remain campaign calling on consumers to “Kill Your Car.” The too far for an easy walk, and transit service may still be firm sees its bicycle-friendly marketing and development as part of a larger commitment to sustainability—all of its projects seek LEED certification. (The new LEED- ND, which looks beyond the individual building to include neighborhood sustainability, awards one point to buildings that are within three miles of essential destinations, assuming these destinations can be reached safely via bicycle.) Ease of Use—A Critical Component The biggest barrier to widespread bicycle use in the United States is the lack of safe, convenient bicycling routes. The prospect of negotiating a six-lane suburban arterial on a bicycle, with cars speeding past at 55 mph, is something few Americans relish. When safer routes are introduced, their popularity hints that it’s the road, not the biking itself, that dissuades people from riding. In many communities, multi-use paths suffer from congestion as cyclists go out of their way to use the paths in place of roadways. Bicycle advocates across the country are seeking to increase cyclists’ options. The Thunderhead Alliance, Cyclists at all levels of skill and based in Washington, D.C., represents a coalition of experience are advocating for local advocacy groups across the country that work for better facilities and greater respect for cyclists’ rights. more bike-friendly cities. With support from Trek’s One World, Two Wheels campaign, the League of American Bicyclists is expanding its lacking or inconvenient in those areas. Bicycles are seen as Bicycle Friendly Communities program. The program a natural solution. recognizes communities where bicycling is safe and Portland, Ore., has been encouraging both compact devel- convenient, and supports other communities in their opment and bicycling for decades. The city has added 277 efforts to become more bike-friendly. Counties, cities miles of bikeways since the 1980s, much of it in the form and towns interested in the designation undergo an ex- of bike lanes that are integrated into existing roadways. The tensive application process, which evaluates everything Portland City Auditor reports that six percent of commut- from bicycle lanes and multi-use paths to secure bicycle ers in Portland travel into the city by bicycle, and another parking and even showers for commuters. The program 10 percent use a bicycle as their secondary means of com- also looks at a community’s efforts to educate adults and muting. Neighborhoods closest to downtown report bi- children on safe cycling, as well as its record of enforcing cycle commute rates approaching 30 percent. laws that protect cyclists’ rights. 36 ON COMMON GROUND

REALTORS® Matt Kolb and Chris Sweeney of Pedal To Properties of Boulder enjoy showing their clients homes the old fashioned way. In the U.S. and Beyond per square mile was associated with a roughly one percent Arlington County, Va., across the Potomac River from increase in the share of workers commuting by bicycle. Washington D.C., was recently awarded a Bicycle The international effort to promote cycling as a form Friendly Communities Silver designation. (The program of transportation received a big push last year with operates on a tiered system—Platinum, Gold, Silver and the introduction of the Vélib system in Paris. More Bronze—to encourage communities to continue to im- than 20,000 bicycles were placed at check-out stations prove resources for cyclists.) The county has adopted a throughout the city, and within a month residents and complete streets policy to ensure that the road network visitors made more than a million trips on these shared- is safe for all users, including cyclists. There is also an use cycles. The mayor of London recently announced extensive, and popular, network of bike trails. Paul De- his intention to build a series of bicycle ‘highways’ into Maio, Bicycle Promotions Manager for the county, says the center of town. European cities are turning to such local real estate agents frequently request a map showing programs to ease congestion and pollution, and similar bicycle trails and on-street bike lanes. programs are popping up in the United States. Arling- “Having a trail nearby is becoming important to home- ton County, Va. is starting a short-term bicycle rental buyers, in the same way that being located near a metro system designed to dovetail with the county’s car-shar- station is important, or being located along I-395 is ing initiative. Bicycles available for rent will be locked to important,” says DeMaio. The county requires secure the poles used to mark the parking spaces reserved for indoor bicycle parking in residential buildings, and pro- the county’s shared cars. motes bicycling and other forms of alternative transpor- Matt Kolb acknowledges that his Pedal to Properties con- tation through informational kiosks in the lobbies of cept will only work in places where bicycling is seen as most large condo and apartment buildings. safe and convenient. In Boulder, bicycling is such a part In the San Francisco Bay Area, the Metropolitan Trans- of the lifestyle that one new development is named The portation Commission awards funding for transit ame- Peloton, a reference to the main pack of riders in a road nities to communities that allow increased housing den- race such as the Tour de France. But racing in a crowd is sity. One of the commission’s programs, Transportation not what the new surge toward bicycling is all about. for Livable Communities, is increasingly funding bicy- “Most of the people ﬁnding us are out for a casual ride, cle-related projects. Another program called Safe Routes to the grocery store or the coffee shop,” says Kolb. to Transit is aimed at helping people reach major transit “They’ve adopted cruiser bikes as their second vehicle.” hubs via foot and bicycle, rather than by car—the pro- For Kolb, the bicycle’s role as a sustainable, convenient gram has even helped expand the bicycle-carrying ca- and cool vehicle is working—his sales since he launched pacity of Bay Area Rapid Transit trains. the new ﬁrm a year ago have grown by 40 percent. ● There is evidence that more residents ride when a com- Barbara McCann serves as Coordinator of the Na- munity devotes resources to making bicycling a safe and tional Complete Streets Coalition. She also writes on attractive option. In a study of 35 typical U.S. cities with a transportation and land-use issues and is co-authored population over 250,000, each additional mile of bike lanes of the book Sprawl Costs from Island Press. SUMMER 2008 37

Life adjacent to a rail trail By Craig Della Penna, REALTOR®, The Murphys REALTORS®, Inc. Northampton, MA In the mid 1990s, I authored my first book on rail trails. It and reinforced all the plaster ceilings in the house with lath- was around this time that I started to get more involved in the strips nailed every few inches. Below that, they installed canvas advocacy end of the rails-to-trails movement. My wife and I ceilings. The thinking was that if the passing trains cracked were living in a suburban community in western Massachusetts the ceilings, they would not be noticeable since they would be that shifted from farms to sprawled-out subdivisions shortly above the taut, but flexible canvas. When we came onto the after WWII. Sadly, with single-use zoning in effect, it is a place scene 130-odd years later and restored the house, two rooms where many residents have to spend nearly a gallon of gas to still had these canvas ceilings. get a gallon of milk. The village of Florence is like many others in southern New Eng- We were so smitten with the healthy lifestyle possibilities as- land. It was laid out in a grid pattern in the mid-19th Century sociated with living near a rail trail that we started to look for with houses close together. As you get further from the village a house that was near one. Besides, as an advocate, it was im- center, the feel is suburban, with typical 1950s to 1970s-era portant for me to not just “talk the talk,” but to actually “walk housing. One different feature in our community is that shortly the walk,” so to speak. after the railroad stopped running in 1969, some local visionar- We were also looking to live in a community that still had a vi- ies suggested that the derelict corridor become a linear park. brant and functioning downtown. Hmmm... A house close to a At that time, the corridor was filled with trash, and known as trail, plus a decent downtown nearby? A tall order to say the least. a place where some in the community went to drink or use Well, one night while returning home from one of my lec- drugs. The idea of converting something bad into something tures before an embryonic group of rail-trail advocates in New good, namely a bike path (the term “rail trail” wasn’t even in- Hampshire, I decided to stop off in Northampton, Mass. More vented back then), was a “new fangled idea,” and something specifically, Florence, a village within Northampton. I wanted that not everyone supported. to see if any houses were for sale near the rail trail. Low and In fact, the woman who owned our house at that time was the behold, there was one. I stumbled upon an old revival style leader of the opposition to the idea of a bike trail. She would farmhouse that was barely visible from the street, hidden be- regularly trot out her then toddlers before the TV cameras and hind years of neglected brush and overgrowth. The best part say that their lives would be endangered by the proposed con- was that it sat eight feet from the rail trail. We called the REALTOR® the next morning, toured the place and found it to be in even worse condition than it looked from the outside. Nevertheless, we saw the potential and jumped right into a bidding war with three other bidders. We prevailed, and in September of 2001, we moved in and started to restore the 1865 house. We (and a slew of contractors) spent the next 14 months restor- ing not only the interior and exterior of the house, but also the Above: Students in grounds. This landscape work included the installation of “period Massachusetts enjoy gardens” with plants and themes that were common to the Civil riding to school on War era. Although we had many surprises in the restoration, most the rail trail. of them unpleasant, one oddity was particularly interesting. It seems that in 1868, three years after this house was built, the railroad came to Florence. The railroad was built so close to the house that the railroad officials offered a creative mitigation for the homeowners who were wary of cracked ceilings from the shaking the house was sure to experience. The railroad came in 38 ON COMMON GROUND

Courtesy of Rails-to- power-walkers, strollers and dog walkers are still out in force. To Trails Conservancy, call these rail trails simply bike-paths is a misnomer. In fact, to the Burke-Gilman call them recreation trails is a misnomer as well. They are genu- Sammamish Trail ine transportation facilities. The city has come around to this in King County, Wa. realization. A few years ago they began plowing the trail in the winter, so that it can remain open as a “Safe Route to School.” After the restoration of our house, we were honored to receive the city’s Historic Preservation Award. Our work was also featured on House & Garden Television’s (HGTV) acclaimed series, “Restore America.” During the restoration, we decided to go one step further and open ©Bryce Hall a bed & breakfast. We call it Sugar Maple Trailside Inn. SMTI is the first bed & breakfast in New England that sits next to a rail version of the corridor into a trail. She was not alone in that trail—and also heavily markets to the bicycle tourism industry. thinking. Most of the neighbors also thought that the construction of a formal path would only invite more bad guys. Our house was one of the closest to a working railroad—and it is certainly one of the closest to a rail trail. In addition, as an After several years of discussion, the rail trail opened in 1984. advocate, I view it as the perfect place to showcase rail trails’ Things have not been the same since, but the change has been benefits to those fearful or concerned about the rail trail in a positive one. their community. We offer complimentary rooms to rail trail The rail trail in Florence is hardly a regional anomaly. One of opponents. We make only weeknights available because we the most notable things about New England that most people want people to wake up to the laughter of children biking to do not realize is the super-abundance of unused former rail- school. The sight is something they remember, and something road corridors. There are about 200 railroad-corridor projects they probably don’t see anymore in their community. underway right now within a 100-mile radius of Northamp- Many people living in suburban-style developments, as we used ton and Florence. Since the 1960s, more than 70,000 miles to, feel a longing that cannot easily be explained. I think it is of former railroad corridor has been taken out of the nation’s the longing for neighborhoods like those many of us grew up inventory of operational railways. The majority of this mileage in. Places where you knew your neighbors, places with porches, is here in the Northeast. The network of off-road paths that and certainly places with sidewalks. can be built in eastern New York and New England is simply unmatched anywhere else in the U.S. These paths connect the This longing might also be explained by the lack of quality places where people live, work and play. “third” places in society today. The first place is your family life. The second place is your work place. The third place is the Each day on our particular rail trail starts pretty much the same place where people meet outside of the first two places. This way. Around 5:30 a.m. or at the crack of dawn, joggers and power concept of ‘third place’ was brought forward by Ray Olden- walkers pass by. By 7:30 a.m., the dog walkers are out and by 8 burg—an urban sociologist from Florida—who wrote about a.m. school kids stream past. In fact, there are scores of kids. Most the importance of informal public gathering places in his book are walking, but a substantial number are on bikes and there is The Great Good Place. even a smattering of roller bladers. So many kids here walk, bike or blade to school that I hazard to guess one or two fewer school The third place experience in many lucky communities today buses are needed, thanks to this “Safe Route to School.” is the pathway known as a rail trail. The need for third places is why these projects are so successful. And it is one of the reasons Around 8:30 a.m., utilitarian bikers ride by—people biking to we love living next to our rail trail. work. In the middle part of the day, the users are mostly retirees Craig Della Penna and his wife Kathleen operate Sugar Maple Trail- and mothers pushing baby carriages. The dog walkers are back side Inn located in Northampton, Mass. He was the New England out late in the afternoon. Then the evening strollers, joggers and representative for Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, but today is a REAL- TOR® in Mass.—working for The Murphys REALTORS®, Inc. specializing walkers. My wife, who is a dedicated power-walker, is on the trail in the sale of residential property next to or near to rail trails and oth- twice a day for a two-mile walk with our Scottish Terrier, Ivan. er greenways all over Massachusetts: http://www.CraigDP .com. His innovative real estate practice garnered national attention when it On weekends the complexion of the path changes. There are was featured in REALTOR® magazine. ● more bicyclists, who tend to be tourists, although local joggers, SUMMER 2008 39

Walk This Way: American cities test strategies to promote alternative transportation By Judy Newman T he simple act of leaving your car in the ga- rage and taking mass transit, riding a bicycle or walking to your destination could help save the planet. Building communities designed to minimize the need to travel and to encourage alternative modes of transportation is a smart growth concept that can have a huge impact on limiting greenhouse gases, experts say. A new book, Growing Cooler, says planning for growth based on sustainable neighborhoods, where residents can work, shop, play and eat within walking or biking Courtesy of Rails-to-Trails, ©Jessica Leas distance of their homes, can go a long way toward re- 40 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

ducing carbon dioxide emissions, considered a major At the same time, communities across the country are factor in global warming. embarking on a wide variety of projects aimed at chang- “What we’re talking about is really compact developing Americans’ car-oriented mindset. ment,” says Reid Ewing, co-author of Growing Cooler In one of the larger-reaching experiments, a federally and a research professor at the University of Maryland’s funded pilot project is targeting four cities, providing National Center for Smart Growth, in College Park. money to help pay for improvements that will make “People want more walkable environments. A shorter them more bike-, bus- and pedestrian-friendly. In 2010, commute, plus the ability to walk to a store—that’s a the results will be delivered to Congress, determining if pretty attractive combination,” Ewing says. “complete streets” and other changes in Marin County, Calif.; Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.; Columbia, Mo.; and Sheboygan, Wis. can alter the public’s gas-guzzling ways The United States sends more and curb global warming. greenhouse gases into the “We are seeing a lot of energy around this,” says Joan Pasiuk, program director of the Bike/Walk Twin Cit- atmosphere than any other ies initiative for Transit for Livable Communities, the country in the world, and group handling the Minneapolis-St. Paul segment. transportation is to blame for Some cities have been trying to wean their residents away from motorized vehicles for years. Portland, Ore., one-third of those carbon di- was among the leaders, adopting car-curtailing policies oxide emissions. in the 1970s. Today, even though Census Bureau ﬁg- ures show Multnomah County’s population has grown 20 percent since 1990, from 584,000 to 702,000, its Courtesy of Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Children in Sheyboygan County, Wis., participate in the county-wide Walk to School Day. 41

Since 1980, the number of miles Americans drive each year has grown three times faster than the U.S. population, and almost twice as fast as vehicle registration. greenhouse gas emissions have scaled back to 0.1 percent above 1990 levels, according to Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development. “That’s pretty astounding,” Bob Stacey, Portland native and executive director of the 1,000 Friends of Oregon nonprofit group, says proudly. Tactics to discourage driving in other parts of the country have not fared so well, though. New York City Mayor Mi- chael Bloomberg proposed an $8 weekday fee for rush-hour drivers heading into the notoriously traffic-clogged Manhat- tan, but the plan died when the New York State Assembly refused to vote on it by the midnight, April 7 deadline. A Particular Challenge for U.S. Cities The United States sends more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than any other country in the world, and transportation is to blame for one-third of those carbon dioxide emissions. Every gallon of gas burned produces about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide. Although automakers are developing more fuel-efficient vehicles—such as hybrid cars, electric cars and cars op- erating on hydrogen-based fuel cells—and lower-carbon fuels, those alternatives are not enough to counteract the increase in the nation’s population during the same pe- accelerating amount of driving, or vehicle miles traveled. riod, and it far outpaces the gains expected from more Since 1980, the number of miles Americans drive each efficient vehicles and lower-carbon fuels. year has grown three times faster than the U.S. popula- Ewing says the answer lies in the way our communities tion, and almost twice as fast as vehicle registration. are laid out and where they are located. They should be A major reason for the increase is the way development high density, mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly, and their has occurred in urban areas, Ewing contends. “Ameri- proper place is within urban neighborhoods, not in outly- cans drive so much because we have given ourselves ing areas farther from employment centers, he says. little alternative. For 60 years, we have built homes ever Offering financial incentives and establishing rules that farther from workplaces, located schools far from the will promote infill development can help accomplish neighborhoods they serve, and isolated other destina- that. “Infill development has a smaller carbon footprint tions—such as shopping—from work and home.” than almost anything you can envision in an outlying The Energy Information Administration of the U.S. area,” Ewing says. Department of Energy projects that the number of But how do you create neighborhoods with a ready- miles driven will jump 48 percent between 2005 and made base of employment when so many of the biggest 2030. That’s more than twice the anticipated 23 percent employers are in well-established areas? 42 ON COMMON GROUND

Light rail provides about 100,000 rides a day; buses carry another A PALETTE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING 250,000 passengers a day. Streetcars and an aerial tramway plug additional gaps. Ewing says as newcomers move into a community, new homes begin to replace the old, and nonresidential buildings follow similar trends even faster than homes. “We estimate that by 2050, two-thirds of the development on the ground will have been built between now and then. So there’s a whole lot of building going on. I can’t think of any reason why some of that couldn’t be close to those employment sites,” Ewing says. Guiding Cooler Growth Ewing cites Portland as a model for weaning residents from behind their steering wheels. Portland took on the mission of targeted growth in the early 1970s, 1,000 Friends’ Stacey says. Portland’s downtown was falling victim to the lure of the suburban shopping mall, with vast stretches of free parking, easy interstate access and a gathering of stores Portland, Ore., has four rail lines with a fifth and eateries all under one roof. The local bus company under construction. was on the verge of bankruptcy. City officials, led by then-Mayor Neil Goldschmidt, created a new design for downtown Portland, with a retail and office core and trails leading to the Willamette River. Traffic was barred from the streets designated for the highest density office buildings; they became transit malls, allowing only buses, bikes and pedestrians. Parking construction was limited: new buildings could contain only three-quarters of a parking stall per 1,000- square-feet of office space, a rule that stood nearly 20 years, from 1975 to 1993. Since 1971, the number of jobs in downtown Portland has doubled, but there’s been no net increase in the number of parking stalls. Also in the 1970s, Portland installed its first light rail line, financing it by trading in a U.S. Department of Transportation grant that had been designated for a new freeway to the suburbs. The city now has four rail lines with a fifth under construction. Light rail provides about 100,000 rides a day; buses carry another 250,000 passengers a day. Streetcars and an aerial tramway plug additional gaps. At the same time, tight limits have been in place on rural development, and 30 miles of low-traffic bike boule- vards and 70 miles of bike paths have been created. SUMMER 2008 43

Each area is getting more than $20 million in federal funds to build “nonmotorized transportation infrastructure.” “Arguably, [the policies have] made the city more attractive,” Stacey says. “There’s probably no other explana- tion for the city’s population growth.” Portland recently ranked No. 1 on Popular Science magazine’s list of America’s 50 Greenest Cities, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Geo- graphic Society’s Green Guide. It is No. 6 in Fortune magazine’s list of Best Places to Live and Launch, and was titled the most sustainable city in the U.S. in 2006 by SustainLane, a green-oriented Web site. Program Proves Effective for Twin Cities In Minneapolis/St. Paul, three of every 10 trips that residents take for work, school or pleasure (29.3 percent) already employ a transportation mode that doesn’t include driving a car. It’s the highest level of non-auto travel among the four communities participating in the federal government’s Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program. Each area is getting more than $20 million in federal funds to build “nonmotorized transportation infrastructure,” such as sidewalks, bicycle lanes and pedestrian trails that connect with transit stations, businesses, homes and other activity centers. Bicyclists take advantage of the convenient bike paths Even before those additions, though, people in the four near downtown Minneapolis. pilot communities are reducing the amount of driving they do by a total of as much as 156 million miles a year as a result of the walking, bicycling and transit-riding they already do, the program’s research team estimates. 44 ON COMMON GROUND

The idea is to create a In Minneapolis/St. Paul, some of the grant program’s first mainstream mentality projects are getting underway, Bike/Walk Twin Cities’ Pa- siuk says. Bike lanes will be added along several streets and and culture for bicy- bike/walk ambassadors are being hired to visit schools, cling and walking as businesses and community groups. The ambassadors coach people about how to navigate city streets on two transportation. wheels, and also offer maintenance and safety classes. “Minneapolis has a pretty good history of investing in Winter in St. Paul, Minn., does not hinder bicyclists cycling and pedestrian facilities,” Pasiuk says. “We see from their travels. pretty significant amounts of bicycle travel, even in the winter.” The Census Bureau’s 2006 American Commu- nity Survey ranks Minneapolis 2nd of 50 cities—behind only Portland—in the number of people who bike to work, 8th in those who walk to work and 11th for commuters taking mass transit. Other Twin Cities projects will involve adding bike/ walk streets that accommodate pedestrians and cyclists. They may include traffic diverters that would create a throughway for cyclists but force cars to turn off at certain points, Pasiuk says. For pedestrians, more benches and lighting could be in the works. “The idea is to create a mainstream mentality and culture for bicycling and walking as transportation,” Pasiuk says. Still Seeking Solutions But it takes more than mass transit and bike lanes to make a comprehensive, long-term reduction in greenhouse gases. It requires serious planning to find ways to condense development rather than allow it to sprawl, with mixed-use projects instead of purely residential subdivisions or office parks, interconnected streets instead of cul de sacs and smaller housing lots, says research professor Ewing. The results are clear: in Portland, residents drive less than 24 miles a day, on average, while in sprawling At- lanta and Raleigh, they drive more than 30 miles a day, according to a sprawl index Ewing conducted of 83 metropolitan areas. To get on the path toward stabilizing the climate, carbon dioxide emissions will have to fall 33 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, a sharp turnaround from the nation’s longtime trends. “We’re moving in the right direction,” said Ewing. “It’s going to be hard to get there, though.” ● Judy Newman is a business reporter at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin. SUMMER 2008 45

Urban Sprawl, Congestion and Climate Change Are Top Concerns Americans are worried about climate change, urban pact-design developments that preserve open space and are sprawl and traffic congestion, and they’d much rather aligned with smart growth policies. “It’s amazing how many improve mass transit than build new roads. communities have picked up on it,” Wluka says. Those are some of the results of the 2007 Growth and Trans- At the same time, though, Wluka says it’s hard to con- portation survey sponsored by the NATIONAL ASSOCIA- vince suburban homebuyers to opt for smaller proper- TION OF REALTORS® and Smart Growth America. ties. New homes in Massachusetts often are built on Asked about their concerns related to growth and devel- nine-tenths of an acre while in states such as Texas, they opment, 71 percent of those polled said they are worried are built on three-tenths of an acre, Wluka says. He is about the increase in global warming. Only 14 percent said a member of a group working on new rules aimed at they are not at all concerned about the problem, which is encouraging smaller land lots. linked to rising amounts of carbon dioxide emissions. The survey also found that congested roads and long Urban sprawl is also a priority issue. Four of every five commutes distress 70 percent of the people polled, and people polled—81 percent—said they would rather see 61 percent said they are concerned that Americans have older urban and suburban areas redeveloped than have to rely on their cars more to get around because their new suburbs sprout into rural areas. The survey found destinations are spread over a wide area. 72 percent are uneasy about the loss of farmland to de- They don’t, however, support higher taxes as a way to dis- velopment, while 70 percent expressed concerns over courage driving. Only 16 percent would support raising the loss of open lands such as fields, forests and deserts. gas taxes. About half of those surveyed (49 percent) said David Wluka, past president of the Massachusetts Asso- ciation of REALTORS® and 2006 chairman of the NA- TIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’® Smart Growth Working Group, said he’s surprised that global warming, new to the survey, ranked as high as traffic problems and open space, the perennial poll leaders. “They’re not joking when they say [former Vice Presi- dent] Al Gore’s movie, ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ made the difference,” Wluka says. A 2005 Massachusetts state budget provision, Chapter 40R, offers communities financial incentives for mixed-use, com- 46 ON COMMON GROUND

is not going to solve the problem,” says David Goldberg, We’ve seen a growing number communications director for Smart Growth America. of people responding to surveys “That has really come home since gas prices started to rise. You can almost mark it from Hurricane Katrina, in like this come to the conclusion late 2005,” Goldberg says. In a separate poll for Smart that more paving is not going to Growth America, 92 percent agreed that gas prices are going to keep rising. That topped their list of personal solve the problem. concerns, Goldberg says. Requiring the auto industry to develop more fuel-effi- they believe improved public transportation is the best cient vehicles and mandating homes and other buildings long-term solution to reducing traffic in their communi- to be more energy efficient won the support of nine out ties. The poll found that 26 percent believe the best solu- of 10 respondents. tion is to develop communities where people don’t have The 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey, conduct- to drive as much. Only one in five, 21 percent, support ed by telephone by Public Opinion Strategies in Octo- building new roads as a solution to traffic congestion. ber 2007, questioned 1,000 adults around the United “We’ve seen a growing number of people responding to States. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus surveys like this come to the conclusion that more paving 3.1 percentage points. ● Americans are concerned about growth and development and how it affects our climate, neighborhoods and communities. Strongly Concerned Total Concerned Loss of farmland 55% 72% development Increase in global warming due to energy use of fossil fuels, carbon 58% 71% dioxide and loss of trees Loss of open land such as 54% 70% fields, forests and deserts Increase in traffic congestion and length of commute 55% 70% Loss of historic landmarks 47% 66% and neighborhoods Loss of the individual 44% 64% character of communities Increased reliance on cars because everything is spread out 40% 61% SUMMER 2008 47

Cunningham Group Architecture Ken Wyner Photography Learning to Conserve Eco-Friendly Schools built for future generations By Christine Sexton G reen and sustainable practices are The public high school, which opened the doors of its increasingly shaping America’s new building on September 4, 2007, recently received the schools—not just the curricula, Green Innovation Award for the Best Institutional Project but the design and construction of from the Virginia Sustainable Building Network. the schools themselves. The T.C. Williams project is ongoing, according to The argument that eco-friendly, Mark X. Burke, director of planning and construction sustainable schools are too expensive to build is heard for the project. Once the entire project is complete, the far less often these days. Even the most cost-conscious school will be able to put in its official application for school officials are deciding it’s time to move ahead with LEED Certification. But the school is already enjoying “green” schools designed to reduce energy consumption the benefits of its new, green home. and damage to the environment. “One of the first things the teaching staff mentioned Rachel Gutter, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the amount of daylighting,” Burke said. “And the schools sector manager, said that 750 facilities across indoor air quality. In the old building, the indoor air the nation contacted the USGBC to say they’re seek- quality was so poor that the original plan was to update ing the new LEED for Schools certification. Another 87 the H-VAC system. The new building has a 100-percent buildings, she said, have already met the new LEED for fresh air system.” Schools guidelines, which were finalized last spring. The discussion of the costs associated with updating the “We’re having a pretty significant uptake,” Gutter said. old building, he said, eventually led to the decision to Among the schools “in the pipeline” for LEED certifica- tear down the old school and start fresh. From the out- tion is T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va. set, the project had green components. 48 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

“In the B-1 phase of the project—the demolition The school has a rooftop garden to help manage precipi- phase—we recycled the steel, the copper, and everything tation. During warm months the garden absorbs heat, else we could from the old building. We sent the con- limiting the building’s need for air conditioning. There crete to be crushed and used as aggregate. The bricks are is also a sampling trough to collect rainwater. Chemistry being reused as well.” students test the water before and after it’s filtered by the Issues related to water were a major focus—how to use garden, to learn how plant systems reduce acidity. less water, how to utilize stormwater, and how to filter The school’s shift toward green is providing additional and control runoff. Much of the rain that falls on the learning opportunities, Burke said, and so did the con- T.C. Williams campus is fed to a 450,000-gallon un- struction of the new building. derground cistern for storage. The water is then used for “We had earth science students performing soil reports. irrigation and for the school’s air conditioning systems, Physics classes used what they were learning to measure and provides the water needed for the school’s toilets the height of the cranes. Our photography classes pro- as well. Burke estimated the school saves $30,000 to vided photos for the Web site to update the community $40,000 a year in potable water costs. on how the project was progressing. We have a building To filter ground runoff, Burke said, the campus will trades class—so that was a natural fit.” have a rain garden. “We also have what are called down- Students interested in masonry, electrical and other build- stream defenders. It’s a filtration system to remove pol- ing trades had the opportunity to gain institutional expe- lution from runoff before it reaches a nearby stream, rience, Burke said. It was a unique opportunity, because which eventually feeds into the Potomac River. There’s a the program is mainly aimed at residential construction. device to separate the large materials like cups and plas- tic bottles, things that make their way into storm drains, Students will soon be able to keep track of the building’s and then there’s a cartridge filter to trap nitrogen and green systems in real time. A display screen in the stu- other pollutants.” dent commons will show exactly how much energy is for Issues related to water were a major focus—how to use less water, how to utilize stormwater, and how to filter and control runoff. Photo by Taki Sidley T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Va., received the Green Innovation Award. 49

lighting, cooling and other individual components of Between the older renovated school and the new build- the building, and will also show the water-levels in the ing sits a manmade wetland that treats wastewater from cistern. A similar screen in the office will allow visitors the kitchen and bathrooms. The treated water is eventu- to view the data, and provide background information ally reused in the toilets and cooling towers. The wet- about the building and how it operates. land also serves as a science laboratory where students One school already certified under the LEED program can learn about biology, ecology and chemistry. is Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. A private Sidwell is the first institution to earn a LEED platinum day school for students in pre-K through 12th grade, rating. Gutter called it an example of “dark green.” the $28 million Sidwell project included renovating a The green movement incorporates many hues, however. 55-year-old, 33,500-square-foot building and building To be considered green, a facility doesn’t need some- a 39,000-square-foot addition. thing as elaborate as onsite wastewater treatment in the form of manufactured wetlands. “Are there lots of ‘light’ Quick ways to go green include green things at the school that can be done? Absolutely,” adding an environmental curricu- Gutter said. Quick ways to go green include adding an environmen- lum, establishing energy and wa- tal curriculum, establishing energy and water patrol pro- ter patrol programs, and promot- grams, and promoting walking or bicycling to school. With gas prices near $4 a gallon, and worries over high ing walking or bicycling to school. rates of childhood obesity, there is already a strong movement to reduce the dependence on cars and buses as kids’ primary form of transportation to school. Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. is certified The federal government launched the Safe Routes to School under the LEED program. Program nearly three years ago and will spend $612 million through fiscal year 2009 to encourage modes of transportation that help students stay active. Photo by Kieran Timberlake 50 ON COMMON GROUND

Florida Safe Routes to School coordinator Pat Pieratte said In Connecticut, voters in Lyme-Old Lyme rejected a $48 the state’s SRTS money will fund at least 177 individual million referendum for a new green high school. Lyme- projects. The majority of those projects, she said, will be Old Lyme board of education member Russ Gomes op- sidewalks within one mile of schools. The first sidewalk posed the referendum. Gomes—an entrepreneur and funded with SRTS dollars is slated to be built next winter. real estate developer—said the amendment went down, Students in Florida return to school in August, when in part, because the advocates never quantified the sav- temperatures are still near the 100-degree mark. While ings associated with building green. walking might prove challenging in the beginning of the Gomes currently heads up a committee charged with academic year, Pieratte said, it’s pleasant in the winter recommending ways the county can meet its additional and spring. More important than nice weather, she said, space requirements. Gomes said the committee may is the desire to walk to school. “Where there is motiva- recommend the county build a new wing onto existing tion, the weather doesn’t seem to dampen things.” facilities. The new wing, he said, would be all green. Pieratte also said that Florida is using its money to en- Gomes is keen on geothermal power. He recently visited courage bicycle and pedestrian education programs. two facilities in Iceland to see how they use the earth’s These include in-school education programs, as well as natural heat for energy. While he’s willing to travel far Nationally, the support for building green and thinking green is mounting. That hasn’t eliminated concerns over cost, however. Great Seneca Creek Elementary School in Germantown, Md., is highlighted by the USGBC. Photo by Eric Taylor Ken Wyner Photography support for parent-supervised “bike trains” and “walk- for research, Gomes is also tapping into homegrown ing school buses.” ideas: those of Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School technol- Nationally, the support for building green and thinking ogy teacher Jennifer Caffrey and four of her students. green is mounting. That hasn’t eliminated concerns over The group met after school for three months with the cost, however. Green school construction is estimated to goal of designing a green building of the future. cost as much as an additional $3 per square foot to build, For the second consecutive year, Mrs. Caffrey and her stu- but on average saves $100,000 per year, according to the dents won the School of the Future design competition for report Greening America’s Schools: Costs and Benefits the northeast region. They traveled to Washington, D.C. 2006. The report was sponsored by the USGBC, The to compete against other regional winners for the national American Federation of Teachers, The American Lung prize—an honor Lyme-Old Lyme students took in 2007. Association, The Federation of American Scientists and “Students have a way of looking at things with a lot The American Institute of Architects. more clarity than adults do,” Gomes said. He has asked SUMMER 2008 51

Students Imagine Schools of the Future On May 2, 2008, the National Association of REAL- TORS® and the Council of Educational Facility Plan- ners International announced the winners of the School of the Future design competition. The annual competition, open to middle school students, challenges teams to redesign their schools to create better learning environments that are environmentally responsive. Six regional winners traveled to Washington, D.C., for Caffrey and her students to present their project to his the week of April 28 to present their designs to a jury committee for consideration. “They may have some in- of architects, school administrators and other experts. novative ideas that we could use.” They may indeed. The School of the Future stu- For the 2008 competition, the students designed a dent design competition is a school that uses geothermal, solar and wind-powered systems. It uses hydropower as well—even its gutters chance for students to re-imag- provide a green benefit. ine their schools. “They are a brand new idea,” Caffrey said of the gutters. Developed by Alex Kashtan, one of the four Lyme-Old The winner of the grand prize was Lyme-Old Lyme Lyme Middle School students who worked on the proj- Middle School, from Old Lyme, Conn., which won for ect, the gutters would contain turbines to harvest the its design that incorporated ergonomic classroom furni- hydropower of rainwater. Water traveling through the ture; hydro, solar and wind power; energy-efficient ap- gutter would drive the turbines, and the energy would pliances; and a hydro gutter system that provides electri- then be stored in batteries. In addition, the system would cal power as well as collects rain water for reuse. collect and reuse water for sinks and toilets. Second place went to Norwalk Middle School, Norwalk, The use of solar, hydro, wind and geothermal energy Iowa, and the third place winner was Imago Dei Middle means that “no matter what the weather conditions, School in Tucson, Ariz. Honorable mentions went to there will be some sort of power,” said Caffrey. Members of the School of the Future awards jury The School of the Future competition is part of School choose winners based on design aspects such as Building Week, sponsored by the Council of Education- minimizing the schools’ impacts on local ecosystems. al Facility Planners International Foundation & Chari- table Trust, and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, among other groups. After taking first place last year, Caffrey said this year’s club really stepped up the emphasis on building green. “We like to think that we addressed as much as 12-year- olds possibly could with green technology,” she said. ● Christine Jordan Sexton is a Tallahassee-based freelance reporter who has done correspondent work for the Associated Press, the New York Times, Florida Medical Business and a variety of trade magazines, including Florida Lawyer and National Underwriter. 52 ON COMMON GROUND

1st Place Winners 2nd Place Winners 3rd Place Winners Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School Norwalk Middle School Imago Dei Middle School Old Lyme, Conn. Norwalk, Iowa Tucson, Ariz. The students examine the hard work. The schools also received cash prizes donated by the REALTORS®. school’s impact on the larger, “This initiative gives students an opportunity to think global environment. about the environment and to express their creativity,” said JoAnn Poole, a Maryland REALTOR® who served the Gereau Center, Rocky Mount, Va.; Olympic View as a judge for the national awards. “I’m hoping that more Middle School, Mukilteo, Wash.; and Westland Middle REALTORS® will want to participate—as a program School, Bethesda, Md. mentor in the classroom, as a local, regional or national The School of the Future student design competition is judge, or as a presenter of the program information to a chance for students to re-imagine their schools. Teams their local schools. from 141 middle schools across the country took up the Throughout the competition, students work with challenge in 2008, designing sustainable schools that mentors—architects and architecture students, REAL- take multiple “environments” into consideration. Stu- TORS®, construction managers and school planners dents seek to improve the learning environment—safe, among others—who help guide them through the de- healthy classrooms and school facilities. They also fo- sign process. Students plan the projects from the con- cus on the local environment, designing a building that cept phase through the completion of the project, docu- minimizes impact on local ecosystems, and makes the menting their work at each step. They are required to best use of things like available sunlight and precipita- produce a project model, a short video or PowerPoint tion. Finally, they examine the school’s impact on the presentation, and a narrative description of the design larger, global environment, which means ensuring the process and the rationale behind their design decisions. building operates efﬁciently and conserves resources The competition guidelines also address the national whenever possible. math standards for middle school students. The ﬁnalists were honored at an event on Capitol Hill, To learn more about how to participate in next year’s where they were joined by their respective members of School of the Future student design competition, go to Congress. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RE- http://sbw.cefpifoundation.org, or contact Bob McNa- ALTORS® hosted an evening reception to recognize mara at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL- the students for their accomplishments and honor their TORS® at bmcnamara@realtors.org. ● SUMMER 2008 53

A Growing Trend S m art Foods from Smart Growth By John Van Gieson U rban gardening, a growing trend, so to speak, in a country where eating wholesome, healthy food is becoming a national obses- sion, has enabled Laotian refugee Vou Yang to shun supermarkets while at the same time honoring the customs of her culture. Yang grows her own food, including Laotian favorites ginger and lemongrass, at Glenham Community Gar- dens, a small urban garden serving a lower-income area of Providence, R.I. The garden is part of an extensive • Purchase of Development Rights (PDR). Local govern- network operated by Providence’s Southside Commu- ments and nonproﬁts purchase development rights to nity Land Trust (SCLT), a pioneer in the burgeoning farms endangered by development, keeping the farms in Local Food Movement. production. PDRs are based on conservation easements— “Glenham Community Garden is my supermarket,” farmers retain full ownership and use of the property for Yang said in an interview for an SCLT publication. “I purposes other than real estate development. always tell all my friends how much money I save and • Transfer of Development Rights (TDR). This method how they need to do the same thing I am doing. I not allows local governments to direct or focus develop- only save, but I eat healthy and know that my food is ment. Developers pay farmers for development rights always going to be safe and fresh. I am living a stress-free that are then “transferred” to areas targeted for high- life and I hardly ever go to the store.” density development. TDRs preserve the farm land Urban gardeners who eat, share or sell what they grow are while at the same time allowing farmers to recoup only one aspect of the Local Food Movement. The move- the value of their development rights. The attraction ment is transforming the way Americans eat and grow for developers? The transferred rights allow them to food, and the way farmers get their produce to consum- increase the density of development at targeted sites, ers. Other key aspects of the movement include: usually to above current zoning restrictions. • Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a process The local food movement has attracted the attention through which urban residents pay farmers in advance of major smart growth advocacy organizations, many for delivery of food baskets during the growing season. of which have revised their procedures to incorporate In many cases, CSAs deliver weekly batches of farm local food elements. The Congress of New Urbanism fresh produce directly to members’ homes. has added local food production elements to its model, 54 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

Smart Code for Smart Growth. The updated model now MACSAC also helps members learn how to prepare their includes backyard, community and rooftop gardens. CSA bounty, offering them a cookbook titled “From As- The Southside Community Land Trust includes urban paragus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh, gardens, also known as city farms, and two CSAs. Execu- Seasonal Produce.” tive Director Katherine H. Brown said the trust includes “CSA makes sense for your health,” Schneider said, “It makes 10 community gardens (farmed by 210 Providence resi- sense for the earth, and it makes sense for your pocketbook.” dents), two school gardens, a one-half acre City Farm Urban gardens and CSA have become major factors that produces food for farmers markets and other busi- in the food scene of the nation’s No. 1 food city, New nesses, and a 20-acre Urban Edge Farm. York—the Big Apple. There are more than 600 commu- The idea of transforming vacant lots into lush urban gar- nity gardens in the city, many located within city parks dens originated in 1981, Brown said. A group of Brown or on other city-owned land. University graduates bought a rundown Victorian in a Just Food describes itself as a “nonprofit organization poor neighborhood and partnered with Southeast Asian that works to develop a just and sustainable food sys- immigrants to develop the city’s first urban garden. tem in the New York City region.” Executive Director Southern Wisconsin has become a hotbed for CSAs. Ac- Jacquie Berger said the organization works with 35 city cording to Erin Schneider, director of the Madison Area farms and nearly 60 CSAs. Members of CSAs pay from Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, 34 farms $350 to $550 a year for their food. affiliated with MACSAC distribute food not only in and Berger said the CSA farms are typically located in New around Madison, but also as far away as Chicago and Jersey, Upstate New York and Long Island. Instead of Minneapolis-St. Paul. delivering food directly to members—a problem in Schneider said the CSA farms in the coalition serve be- high-rise apartment buildings—the farmers deliver it tween 12,000 and 15,000 members, who typically pay to churches, synagogues, schools and other community the farmers $25 to $30 a week during a 22- to 26-week centers that serve as distribution points. growing season. The farms produce up to 32 different New Yorkers who work the city farms sell much of their kinds of vegetables. Some offer fruit, herbs and eggs. produce at farmers markets which were created to make Some even offer cheese, chicken, pork and beef. locally grown, organic food available to city residents. Community Supported Agriculture makes sense for your health. It makes sense for the earth, and it makes sense for your pocketbook. Just Food’s City Farms program works to increase food production, marketing and distribution via community gardens throughout New York City. 55

New Yorkers who work the city farms sell much of their produce at farmers markets which were created to make locally grown, organic food available to city residents. “They grow their own food, they run a weekly farmers divisions, and soaring land values have made it impos- market from July through October and they tend to in- sible for us to purchase adjoining land to create a more vest all their earnings back into the garden,” Berger said. holistic farm system.” “I think we’re helping New Yorkers eat well in a lot of The Local Food Movement is catching on in some U.S. super- different ways,” she added. “We are working to improve markets, although not yet to the extent to which local foods the system by which New Yorkers get food. We’re help- are available to shoppers in United Kingdom supermarkets. ing to provide additional markets to keep small local California-based Safeway, the fourth largest U.S. super- farms and organic farms in existence.” market chain, has been a leader in offering local food to Rosie Koenig, an organic farmer who has a Ph.D. in its shoppers. Safeway has been converting its older stores plant pathology from the University of Florida, start- into “Lifestyle Stores” featuring expanded produce sec- ed the Plowshares CSA in Gainesville, Fla., in 1996. tions under signs such as “Fresh from the fields,” and Plowshares has since grown to 90 members, including “Vegetables—Local Growers.” a group of families in need, who receive subsidized sea- There are standards for organic food grown locally, but sonal produce. Koenig grows and harvests the produce the definition of “local food” is a matter of interpretation. with the assistance of her husband and volunteers. Her Is it food produced in the same county? The same state? 17-acre organic farm sits on the edge of Gainesville. Or the same region of the country? Waitrose, a UK super- “Our farm was zoned for agriculture when we purchased market chain, has the answer—it defines “local food” as it, but it now lies within the municipal service boundar- food produced with 30 miles of the store that sells it. ies of Gainesville,” she said in an article posted on the The American Farmland Trust reports that the nation is Web site www.newfarm.org. “The biggest cash crop for losing 1.2 million acres of farmland a year to develop- the remaining farms around us appears to be new sub- ment, which is usually driven by urban sprawl. Serious ef- Photo by Caroline A. Novak Lancaster County, Pa., is home to more than 5,000 working farms. 56 ON COMMON GROUND

Farmers in Lancaster County work hard to preserve their farm land for future generations. Photo by Caroline A. Novak forts to protect farmland from development began about They [Amish farmers] are selling 30 years ago. A variety of methods developed, with Pur- chase of Development Rights (PDR) fast becoming one something that has real value— of the most prevalent and effective. The American Farm- development rights. land Trust reports that more than 27 states and 50 local governments have launched PDR programs. “They really viewed it as getting something for nothing, In typical PDR programs, local governments rely on a which is against their beliefs,” she said. “Now they real- combination of local, state and federal funding to pur- ize they’re selling something that has real value—devel- chase development rights for the land. Farmers retain opment rights.” full ownership and can still farm the land, but the con- In Lancaster County, and many other places across the servation easements prohibit development of the land country, the federal Farm and Ranchlands Protection in perpetuity. Program (FRPP) of the National Resource Conservation Lancaster County, in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch Service (NRCP) provides funding to help local govern- country and home to a large population of Amish farm- ments purchase development rights. NRCP Chief Arlen ers, launched its farmland protection program in 1980. Lancaster said the FRPP has helped to preserve 536,936 It joined the Pennsylvania PDR program in 1989. The acres on 2,764 farms. county, according to Karen Martynick, director of the Lancaster Farmland Trust, has “the most fertile non-ir- rigated soil in the world.” But Lancaster is within commuting distance of Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa., and Wilmington, Del., and has experienced intense development pressure. Matt Knepper, executive director of the county’s Agri- culture Protection Board, said the county has preserved 58,485 acres of farmland, out of a total of about 400,000. Doing so required purchasing 658 conservation easements. He said conservation easement prices have been running about $3,000 an acre over the last several years. “We feel like we’re doing very well, but we still feel like we have a ways to go,” Knepper said. The Lancaster County farmland protection program primarily serves “Plain Sect” farmers—the Amish, along with a smaller population of Mennonites. At ﬁrst, Mar- tynick said, the Amish weren’t interested in selling development rights, but the program now has 300 Amish Photo by Caroline A. Novak farms under easement. SUMMER 2008 57

Increasingly, local governments are using both PDRs The Incredible, and TDRs to preserve farmland. Lancaster County is working with several municipalities to develop TDR Edible…Schoolyard programs. Montgomery County, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C., has the most advanced TDR pro- Remember the food they served in the lunchroom when gram in the country. It relies on a PDR program to in- you were in school? Pretty awful, right? Well, that was then, crease its options. and this is now—in Berkeley, Calif., at least. Under TDR programs, the farmland where the rights origi- Inspired by celebrated local chef Alice Waters, the Berkeley nate is called the “sending” parcel. The land where those schools are at the forefront of a national movement to teach rights will be used is called the “receiving” parcel. The children the value of wholesome, nutritious food. Schools around the country are joining the movement, including Photo by Caroline A. Novak many colleges that have committed to serving local, organic food on campus. Some are even growing their own. Waters ignited a food revolution in 1971 when she opened her Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse. The menu emphasizes fresh, local, seasonal, organic food. Over the years she developed an interest in teaching children to eat right. In 1994 she began working with the principal of Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley to launch the Edible Schoolyard project. The Edible Schoolyard comprises a one-acre organic garden A development right equals one and a kitchen classroom. Students grow the food, primarily housing unit, but there are dou- vegetables, and learn how to prepare, cook and serve it. Ac- cording to the Edible Schoolyard’s mission statement, this ble-density bonuses for condo- serves “as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values miniums and garden apartments. of nourishment, community and stewardship of the land.” farmer sells development rights—in accordance with local Instead of the mystery meat you might remember from your regulations—to a developer who can then use the rights in school cafeteria, the kids at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle areas designated by the local government for development. School are whipping up dishes such as “Jerusalem Artichoke John Zawitowski, director of planning and promotion Fritters, Pumpkin and Kale Soup, Cucumber Sushi, Sweet for the Montgomery County Agricultural Services Divi- Potato Biscuits, Seasonal Harvest Soup, and Brown Rice sion, said developers can obtain 16 development rights Salad in Red Chard Leaves.” with a TDR agreement on a 100-acre farm. Basically, Makes your mouth water, doesn’t it? he said, a development right equals one housing unit, Marsha Guerrero, director of special projects for Waters’ but there are double-density bonuses for condominiums Chez Panisse Foundation, said lessons learned from grow- and garden apartments. ing, preparing and cooking the food are fully integrated into The average price for TDRs peaked at $42,000 an acre the school’s curriculum. Part of the Foundation’s mission, several years ago, but has since leveled off to about Guerrero said, is to encourage school gardens and food edu- $8,400 an acre, Zawitowski said. He noted that Mont- cation programs at schools all over the country. gomery County has preserved more than 58,000 acres After the middle Gulf Coast was devastated by Hurricane of farmland through TDR agreements. Katrina in 2005, the Foundation opened a second Edible “Our goal is 70,000 acres, and between TDR and PDR Schoolyard project at the Samuel J. Green Charter School in we’re going to hit 70,000 later this year.” ● New Orleans. A third Edible Schoolyard is in the works at the John Van Gieson is a freelance writer based in Monte del Sole Charter School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tallahassee, Fla. He owns and runs Van Gieson Media Relations, Inc. 58 ON COMMON GROUND

tionwide. Yale purchases fresh produce from local farmers, enabling it to provide sustainable food menus at all of its campus dining facilities. Josh Viertel, co-director of the Yale Smart Food Proj- ect, said the university enters into agreements with local farmers, in some cases agreeing to purchase everything they produce. He said the university guarantees one local farmer it will buy his entire tomato crop. A local pro- cessor turns the tomatoes into salsa and a local printer makes the labels for the Yale Salsa brand. Local grass-fed beef is also served on campus. Viertel said Yalies tell him the grass-fed beef burgers are the best they’re ever eaten. At Yale and other colleges, local food is part of a larger commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon emissions. “We are affiliating ourselves with schools that have a “If Yale is going to meet the carbon reduction goals it program in place,” Guerrero said. “There are hundreds set out, it really has to engage with the foot it eats,” said and hundreds of schools across the country that have Josh Viertel, co-director of the Yale Smart Food Project. gardening programs.” Yale has its own organic garden on campus. Students Another outgrowth of Water’s interest in teaching children grow salad greens—served on campus—and have a to appreciate good food is the School Lunch Initiative in all weekly wood-fired pizza party featuring produce from of the Berkeley schools. Backed by a $10 million bond is- the garden. Most of what’s grown, however, is sold at sue approved by Berkeley voters in 2000, the School Lunch local farmers markets. Initiative states schools’ commitment to serving fresh fruits One of the benefits of fresh local food, as Waters once and vegetables at every meal, banning processed food and noted in a speech, is the pleasure of eating it. “I realize ensuring that kid favorites such as pizza and Mexican food that our society is uncomfortable with the notion that are made from fresh, local produce. education might teach our children how to experience In 2003 Waters helped to conceive the Yale Sustainable pleasure; but the sensual pleasure of eating beautiful food Food Project, a higher education local food program from the garden brings with it the moral satisfaction of that has set an example for colleges and universities na- doing the right thing for the planet and for yourself.” ● SUMMER 2008 59

REALTORS Take Action ® Making Smart Growth Happen Aurora, Illinois: Downtown Showcase Aurora, Ill., outside of Chicago, is a city with “good bones”—a beautiful downtown core nestled alongside the Fox River. But the city has nonetheless suffered over the last several decades as factories closed and activity moved into the suburbs. The community is determined to turn that around, however—and local REALTORS® are part of the action. “REALTORS® are very much the sales force of the cities they live and work in,” says Sharon Gorrell, who works for the Illinois Association of REALTORS® and serves as local government affairs director for the Fox Valley and Aurora Tri-County areas. “For revitalization to be successful, the city has to train its sales force, like any company. REALTORS® need to know how to sell their product.” That training was the primary goal of the Aurora Downtown Showcase, a day-long expo supported in part by a $3,000 Smart Growth Action Grant from the National Association of REALTORS®. More than 200 commercial real estate agents and other guests gathered on June 5, 2007, to hear speakers, learn about city efforts to revitalize parks and the riverfront, and enjoy a luncheon. During the afternoon the RE- ALTORS® took part in extensive walking tours and visited open houses in several downtown buildings. job—it was designed to educate REALTORS® about The day started off with a welcome by Aurora Mayor how smart growth can offer residents more choices in Tom Weisner and ﬁnished with a reception. housing and transportation, while giving businesses While the event focused on the advantages of invest- new opportunities to grow without adversely affecting ing in downtown Aurora, it was more than a sales the environment. 60 ON COMMON GROUND SUMMER 2008

The featured speakers included Douglas Farr of Farr downtown, and the point is, I have to make people be- Associates, who spoke of the potential for building lievers in downtown. We’ve been supported very well “green” by participating in the Leadership in Ener- by the REALTORS®.” gy and Environmental Design certiﬁcation process. Aurora’s downtown makeover is well underway, with NAR’s Hugh Morris detailed the potential for down- revitalization of the riverfront and the city’s train sta- town revitalization, and the role of REALTORS® in tion (which features a Metra commuter train into making it successful. Noted architect James Loewen- Chicago). A 2,000-unit housing development and berg related his experience designing highly successful another 150-unit condominium project that is a tran- urban residential and mixed-use developments in the sit-oriented development, are currently under con- Chicago region. struction. The expo was coordinated with Seize the Future—a re- The ‘high-end’ nature of the Aurora Downtown development foundation that has pooled community Showcase event wouldn’t have been possible without resources to revitalize the city of 170,000. David Dor- the NAR support, but Gorrell says what was even gan of Seize the Future says the event, and an event more valuable was the knowledge that the national as- held the year before for residential real estate agents, sociation recognized the event’s importance. “It spoke have been critical educational tools for a real estate volumes that we had this large million-plus member community that had focused on suburban subdivision organization willing to come to the city and be part development. “There hasn’t been a housing market in of the action.” 61

REALTORS Take Action ® Making Smart Growth Happen York/Adams County Bus Trip Leads to TND Handbook In York and Adams Counties in southeastern Penn- tion was the first order of business. “A lot of times sylvania, REALTORS® have rolled up their sleeves when people hear about high density, they think you and are working closely with elected officials and city are bringing the city to a rural area, and they become planners to influence the shape of development with very alarmed,” says Shanna Wiest, government affairs the help of two NAR Smart Growth Action Grants. director for the association. Pictures of TNDs don’t The region is known for its rural beauty, but is threat- tell the whole story, Wiest added, because it’s difficult ened by sprawling housing developments as people to get a sense of how high the density actually is from who work in neighboring Maryland seek less expensive photographs alone. housing. The REALTORS® Association of York and The Association decided that if seeing is believing, they Adams Counties saw a solution in the form of Tradi- would need to take local officials to see a real TND. tional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs)—com- They used their first Smart Growth Action Grant to pact mixed use developments that can accommodate sponsor a bus trip for elected officials and staff from growth while minimizing the impact on open space. several local jurisdictions to see Kentlands in Maryland The concept was a new one for the area, and educa- outside of Washington D.C. in May of 2006. Kent- 62 ON COMMON GROUND

lands is a neo-traditional community that features a mix of detached homes, townhomes, condos and apartments with a neighboring retail center. The participants arrived prepared: prior to the bus trip the Association held evening workshops in both counties to help participants understand TND design. The workshops featured a builder using TND design, and a planner from nearby Eastland Township in neighboring Lancaster County, where TND techniques are being used. The Association wanted to be sure that the municipal officials who were the target of their efforts heard from their peers about the potential of this alternative form of development. “What was really great was that we had one municipal- ity that was in the early adoption stage on TND regulations. They sent five municipal staff members [on the bus trip] so they could see what TND would look and feel like. It was extremely beneficial to them.” Once the trip was over, the REALTORS® Association realized there was much more work to be done. “There were lots of discussions in our community—‘we need boroughs, and cities between the two counties, the to save open space.’ And another: ‘we have a big issue task looked daunting. The Coalition decided to create around affordable housing.’ Then others, ‘what kind a model TND ordinance and found support through of development should we be doing?’” says Wiest. “All a second NAR Smart Growth Action Grant. The idea of these discussions were taking place separately, but for a model ordinance evolved into a handbook to we needed to have them all together. Land use, open help localities write their own ordinances. A 12-per- space preservation and affordable housing are all re- son committee with help from a consultant has writ- lated to each other.” The Association realized that the ten a draft of the handbook. REALTORS® alone could not answer these questions, The REALTORS® Association and the Smart Growth and so took the lead in forming the York/Adams Re- Coalition plan to create a companion PowerPoint to gional Smart Growth Coalition. The Coalition has help introduce the new tool to local officials; they invited Chambers of Commerce, Economic Develop- hope it will result in development that will preserve ment Corporations, affordable housing groups, build- the beauty in two counties that are among the fastest ers and others to join. growing in the state. Wiest says the projects supported The new Coalition wanted to help municipalities by the Action Grants prove that “REALTORS® don’t adopt TND ordinances—but with 106 townships, just sell homes, we build communities.” SUMMER 2008 63

Smart Growth: On Common Ground: Summer08

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