WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The number of county-based green building programs in the U.S. has almost quintupled, growing from a mere eight in 2003 to 39 in just five years, according to a study by the American Institute of Architects (AIA).
The study, "Local Leaders in Sustainability: Green Counties," singled out four — Alameda County, CA, Hennepin, County, MN, King County, WA, and Montgomery County, MD — for having "solid best practice examples of programs that can be viewed as models."
"These counties are also representative of the original innovators at the county level," the AIA said in releasing its report on July 9. "Partially as a result of policies such as these, buildings across the country have undergone a revolution in terms of the emphasis that is placed on resource efficiency and life-cycle performance."
In compiling its study, the AIA sought to survey 200 of the most populous counties in the country this year. With help from the National Association of Counties, the AIA achieved an 88 percent response rate. "The AIA is committed to advancing the practice of architecture by continuing to promote sustainable, low-impact building features," said Paul Mendelsohn, AIA vice president, Government and Community Relations.
"Green building policy is an important part of this process, and it is heartening to see all of the effort being put forth by local leaders," Mendelsohn said in a statement. "The experiences of these counties make it increasingly clear that investment in high-performance building programs is an efficient and popular use of taxpayer dollars."
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