What is LEED for Cities? May 22, 2017 LEED for buildings is well-known and widely recognized as the shape of sustainable architecture to come; more than 1.85 million square feet of new or refurbished structures are certified every single day. But what is LEED for cities, and how does it affect the future of building… more info
By Megan Rosa Sustainability Analyst Sustainable Investment Group (SIG) With the growth of the internet and smart phone apps, online shopping has altered the way we spend our time and money. According to the World Green Building Council, of the 1,200 enclosed malls built in the US, “about one third are dead or endangered”. 1… more info
The High Performance Building Summit held in Atlanta on Thursday, March 20, 2014 offered many great presentations and vendors. Denise Quarles, Director of Sustainability, from the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, gave an excellent presentation on Atlanta’s numerous green initiatives on it’s journey to become one of the greenest cities in the country. Here are just… more info
The growth of municipalities in the 19th and 20th century lead to incredible sociological, cultural, economic, and environmental changes to the landscapes of the world. Now, with greater concerns of social cohesion and environmental sustainability, a new school of thought has sprang up that tries to address major issues that arose with the growth of… more info
With a growing concern over environmental sustainability, cities across the country are taking up the torch to try to build more just and cleaner communities. This is where the EcoDistricts program comes in. Starting with a pilot program in Portland, Oregon in 2010, the EcoDistrict program is a public and private partnership to develop new… more info
Monday September 24th, Norcross, GA The SIG team donated their time to the Global Soap Project, a non-profit organization that recovers and recycles soap from North American hotels that would otherwise end up in landfills. The soap is donated to vulnerable populations around the world such as refugees, orphans and disaster victims. We chose to work… more info
There is a lot to love about Atlanta; our temperate climate with four distinct seasons, professional sports teams, trees and parks. However there are two issues that most Atlantans can agree make our city a little inhospitable at times: traffic and high cost of water/sewer. Luckily, this summer all of metro Atlanta has the opportunity to make… more info
Any sustainable strategy can only be as successful as the education that accompanies it’s roll-out. Why then, if we’ve been driving cars for over 100 years, does the average driver not understand the impacts of idling cars? To earn an alternative transportation point under LEED for Schools (k-12), student pick-up areas must be identified as ‘no idle… more info
