There has been a lot of focus on green homes lately. From rebates on solar panels, to fridge buy-back programs, to pushes to replacing incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs and LEDs, it seems that every utility and business is trying to catch the green wave.

Retrofitting existing houses is the easy part. While it is an important start, it is not enough.  The environment is only one part of the sustainability triangle; community and the economy are just as important.

No matter how many solar panels, energy-efficient appliances or lightbulbs a home may have, it is not truly sustainable if it is sited on an oversize lot. It isn’t even all that green if the energy you save with your water heater is simply transferred to powering your AC to cool the guest bedroom that is only used two weeks a year. It also isn’t green if the money you ‘save’ living in the suburbs the core is instead spent on commuting or chaffering your children.

With this in mind, let’s look at some categories that would make a house not just green, but truly sustainable:

Ten Characteristics of Sustainable Housing

1. Housing made more affordable through strengthened connections to practical transportation alternatives and allows households to cut the cost of transportation to and from work, retail, and recreation. (Economy)
2. Housing that makes use of previously developed land and existing buildings and infrastructure (e.g., water/sewer lines) through rehabilitation and infill development. (Economy) Focusing development in existing areas can help conserve water and other natural resources, protect habitat from fragmentation, keep air clean, and support local agriculture (Environment)
3. Housing that is compact and uses green building materials and techniques to cut energy consumption associated with transportation and indoor climate, water use, and storm water runoff. (Environment)
4. Housing sited and/or designed to be resilient to natural hazards such as flooding, earthquakes, and sea level rise. (Environment)
5. Housing that optimizes the health and safety of its occupants through design and location that protects indoor air quality, increases accessibility, and minimizes potential injuries. (Community)
6. Housing characterized by: a mix of incomes, sizes, and structure types to meet a range of household sizes, resident ages and income levels; does not differentiate income level through building design, location and availability, and designed to add value to the community. (Community)
7. Housing that is part of a holistic approach to create sustainable communities and revitalize neighborhoods that feature job opportunities, transit accessibility, commercial corridor redevelopment, educational opportunities, recreation facilities, and community and human services. (Community+Economy)
8. Housing that enables decreased car use helps combat toxic air pollution which can cause asthma and other respiratory illnesses. (Environment+Economy)
9. Housing in a mixed-use environment within walking distance of shops and services results in increased walking and biking, which can improve cardiovascular and respiratory health and cut the risk of hypertension and obesity. (Community+Economy) These neighborhoods also foster a sense of community, and invite casual interaction among neighbors. (Community)
10. Housing (and commercial space) in highly walkable or transit-accessible areas is in higher demand. This results in higher tenancy rates and higher retention of property values, even in tough economic times.

“With more compact development, people drive 20-40%” less.”

As you see, truly sustainable housing touches on everything in our daily lives; from where we work, shop and live, to how we travel and what kinds of amenities we enjoy. It is not about preventing growth, but rather about creating choices about where people live and how they get around.  it is about replacing poorly planned development with responsible growth that supports our communities, economy AND environment.

Sustainable housing focuses not just the construction of the house itself but where it is situated in it’s neighborhood, community, city and ultimately region. Everyone living or working in a community can reap the benefits of sustainable development, whether through increased business, decreased health problems, orv improved relations with neighbors.

Competition and Resilience

Sustainable housing isn’t simply about lifestyle choice or even quality of life. It has competitive implications as well. A sustainable approach to housing:

• improves our ability to respond to an aging and more diverse population;
• increases our economic competitiveness,
• reduces our dependence on oil
• enhance the overall livability of existing communities
• enables responsible growth with better environmental and climate outcomes.

The Opportunity is Now

By 2050, the United States will reach a projected population of 420 million people. Over this same time, 89 million new and replacement homes built. This is 89 million opportunities to not only build green homes, using available and forthcoming technologies but also build them in an economically efficient and socially considerate way.

Taking advantage of this opportunity will result in a more holistic and sustainable approach to housing. In doing so it will more accurately reflect the true cost of housing; foster healthy and walkable communities; and yield better outcomes for community residents, our neighborhoods, the economy, and the environment.  This is something that no amount of solar water heaters or CFL bulbs could do.

Your Turn

Did I miss any thing in my list?  Do you disagree with anything I’ve written?  Please let me know in the comment section