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Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Good resource for green building policy developmentBy M J BakerIn Building an Emerald City; the author frames the process of establishing green building policies and programs from her own experiences and the work of colleagues in places like Seattle and Austin. This knowledge base is supplemented with research; programmatic and theoretical resources and examples from other organizations and agencies engaged in the development and maintenance of green building programs.The book begins by establishing why public policy is an appropriate avenue for encouraging sustainability in development. Immediately; the reader is drawn in by the hopeful determination of the authors early experiences; and called on toward action in communities large and small across the country. Each chapter addresses a different component of the development process of policy initiatives; in the context of the green building industry. Topics range from identifying stakeholders early in the process to establishing incentive programs; from certification tools to performance metrics. Within each topic area; theory is supported by national and regional resources; programs and tools; tabular comparisons of implementation strategies or pathways; and case studies highlighting real-world implementation of the concepts described.There is significant buzz around `sustainability in the marketplace; but the need for programs and policies to encourage and support the inclusion of green building strategies in development remains high. It seems the author was striving to cut through some of the word confusion in selecting a title for the book; as she writes; "I use the term emerald to suggest a deep and singularly transparent shade of green. Many of us are on the path of transforming our cities to become deeply green and sustainable urban environments. How can we learn from others? The variety of approaches we can take to create this change are as multifaceted as a polished gemstone."Within the green building industry; engaged participants thrive on collaborative and open-source communication - this book celebrates and encourages that ethos. Building an Emerald City will be a useful guidebook and `toolkit resource for agencies and organizations engaged in establishing green building programs within their locality.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Help in Understanding How Policies and Program EmergeBy Robert H. KnappBuilding An Emerald City is a much needed book. The sustainability grapevine carries frequent messages these days about the possibility that buildings; which account for as much as 40% of US energy use; can be made much more environmentally sound and humanly beneficial than the generic norm. Architects and architectural engineers are in print with books and articles that are both informative and appealing. The real estate press has begun to resonate with the message that green building can not only help the planet but help the bottom line. But the picture is not complete without informed; thoughtful; and sensible discussion of the role that local governments have to play in getting green building to become the new norm for American cities. This is what Lucia Athens has given us in Building An Emerald City.Athens not only voices the vital contributions that governments can make in this sphere; but outlines the key ingredients and steps for actually getting this to happen. She played a central role in Seattles path-breaking policy and program of encouraging green design and construction; and knows first hand that successful encouragement of green approaches entails far more that getting a city council resolution passed. She provides chapters on building support for green building initiatives; developing and implementing policy; creating support services such as certification tools and technical assistance; and the interplay between incentives of various kinds and city codes. She connects this all well with what is known about the process of change in markets and inside organizations;. She provides chapter and verse about key moments of change; both inside government and in the firms and businesses that adopt green practices for building. She also musters what can be said so far about the actual performance of green designs. The different actors in the building sphere--owners; designers; builders; and officials--have not turned their attention to measuring performance as quickly as some might hope; and have lagged further in making results known. But information is beginning to accumulate; and Athens brings us up to 2006 or so; about as far as one might expect at this point.Dealing with mixed results is the next challenge for green building activists. Inevitably some design moves from the 2000-2005 generation will work better than others; inevitably some buildings will be operated more attentively and resourcefully than others; inevitably charges of greenwashing; bureaucratization; and complacent status-quo-ism will circulate freely. This is a time of learning; not a time of polished completeness; and mistakes and disputes are part of the learning process. Athens gives us a helping hand in coping with this turmoil; by persuasively articulating ten trends that will show themselves over the coming period.All in all; Building an Emerald City is a strong and useful contribution to a vital area for Americas environmental; urban; and economic future.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Spirt of a PioneerBy Al DietemannTenacity and the spirit of a pioneer...thats what Building an Emerald City is all about. Lucia Athens does much more than dream for a living. She builds her dream. Reading her book you can quickly see a person with a vision; taking a promising idea and sparking the minds of creative people. She calls it building support; but others might call it building a movement. As the chapters unfold; so do the strategies for success. Watch her blaze a policy and program adoption trail for green building. Mountains of inertia; obstacles; hardships; and setbacks are all viewed by her as challenges. The dream lives. Each chapter I found myself walking the pioneer trail recognizing that these same successful strategies could easily work to create change and innovation over a broad spectrum of markets and organizations far beyond green building.Clearly the world cant afford to keep constructing buildings that require huge amounts of resources and discharge enormous quantities of waste. Building an Emerald City demonstrates that vision and motivational leadership will attract other innovators. The book provides team building strategies needed to enlarge a pioneer path into a sustainable building cultural highway. "Build it and they will come" is a frequently quoted movie line. The building policies of this book will "keep them coming and building it" in increasingly darker shades of emerald green.