ROLE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN SUSTAINABILITY

Governments own and maintain a wide range of buildings and facilities, including administrative and office buildings, park facilities, health clinics and hospitals, fire and police stations, convention centers, wastewater treatment plants, and airports. At their disposal are a variety of administrative, regulatory, and financing tools that can help local governments develop and operate these building resources in a sustainable manner.

Local governments can create policies for municipal procurement, contract specifications, building performance, and building codes regulating community standards; enact resolutions, training and education programs, and ordinances that focus attention on sustainable development; create community boards and commissions to study local sustainable issues; and provide economic incentives for sustainable development.

Many local governments have the experience and capability to create model programs and buildings, which set examples for resource-efficient guidelines and support green building programs elsewhere in their communities. Green building programs can be a first step to helping local stakeholders—policymakers, businesses, citizens, financiers, homeowners, and building owners—understand the economic and environmental wisdom of adopting sustainable principles for their communities. Communities may also address sustainability from an overall quality-of-life perspective.

Green building initiatives, as well as sustainable development activities, offer many opportunities to local governments and communities. The key to success for local governments is to take the first step toward sustainability, working initially within areas that are most likely to succeed, such as a green building project.

A few possible starting points include the following:

• Examine local government policies and procurement procedures for inclusion of green building measures. 
• Develop a demonstration green building project or local sustainable building design co m p e t i t i o n . 
• Require that government building projects incorporate renewable energy and energy efficient systems, indoor-air-quality guidelines, and waste and water-efficiency measures. 
• Survey and review other cities with green building projects, programs, and standards. 
• Assemble a multidisciplinary team within the community to discuss the possibility of developing a green building program. 
• Develop a green building awards program; co-sponsor the program with the local utility and local chapters of design, engineering, and property-management societies. 
• Survey and publish the community’s green building resources. 
• Initiate a conference or series of lectures on green building issues. 
• Assemble a green building resource library within an existing library or municipal office. 
• Initiate a green building computer-based bulletin board or Internet site. 
• Publish case studies of local green building projects or develop a green building.