True Green Cities / How Old Buildings Take the LEED on Green

A new CitiBikes kiosk on 27th and 7th Avenue in front of FIT.  What's all the hullabaloo about?

A new CitiBikes kiosk on 27th and 7th Avenue in front of FIT. What’s all the hullabaloo about?

I recently began writing a blog for a new global website – UBM’s Future Cities – whose tagline is The Global Community for 21st Century Decisions Makers.  The site is truly global in nature, with professional contributors in the sustainability field from all over the world.  Being included as the voice of sustainable preservation is a true honor and indicates that existing buildings and historic ones are making an impact and our story is being heard.  Much of the writing is almost in real time, bringing many important topics immediately to its readers.  The editor-in-chief of the site, Nicole Ferraro, has been writing about the hullabaloo over the new “CitiBikes” bike share program in New York City and her recent video blog about taking a spin on one of the bikes in front of FIT on Manhattan’s west side is worth the watch!

If you’re looking for a new place to get the latest sustainability information, I recommend you check out this site.  The dialogue is informed and smart.  No trolls allowed!  Here are a couple paragraphs of my first blog to get you started.

How Old Buildings Take the LEED on Green

The General Services Administration (GSA), the federal government’s landlord, announced this month that it had received the first LEED Platinum certification for one of its projects. That project was not the latest glass and steel office building or a starchitect-designed courthouse. It was the rehabilitation of a Beaux Arts-style 1936 landmark courthouse in San Antonio adjacent to the Alamo.

This is an amazing announcement, given that the GSA became the first federal agency to adopt LEED as a project requirement in 2003 and has certified more than 50 of its owned and leased properties in the last 10 years.

I receive calls all the time from owners, continue to the UBM Future Cities site to read the whole piece

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