We've previously
discussed the merits and faults of green building certification systems like
LEED, but what about a certification system that considers the sustainability
of outdoor spaces such as parks and lawns? The Sustainable Sites Initiative, a
new collaborative program, has begun testing the certification system the
program has been developing since 2005 that gives ratings to outdoor spaces.
Like the LEED system, outdoor sites earn points for sustainable features, such
as soil conservation, native plants, water conservation, and sustainable
management practices. The standards are part of an effort to raise awareness
about how to make outdoor spaces more sustainable, since public opinion pools
show that people are not as knowledgeable in this area. Since outdoor spaces
take up a large proportion of our communities, these standards can help boost
the overall sustainability and livability of
these communities.
The article alludes
to the challenges the program faces to accommodate a wide variety of outdoor
spaces and their various uses. It is good to be critical of these new standards
and their limitations, so that these weaknesses can be addressed. For example,
the standards would apply to a city street and a rural park, which most likely
have very little in common. This means the criteria must be flexible enough to
fit both spaces, but might this make the standards too vague and obsolete? This
is one weakness the initiative is hoping to test with their pilot sites.
The article also
brings up another challenge: changing the conception of "green"
spaces so people will actually want to abide by these standards. This means
showing that sustainable spaces can be as aesthetically pleasing as manicured
lawns and trimmed trees. It is interesting that sustainable spaces are
conceptualized as "wild and untended," alluding to the view that
sustainable landscapes occur where humans are not interfering.
Though these
standards might be imperfect, I think raising awareness about the sustainable
management of outdoor spaces could be important for promoting people to get
outside and have a closer relationship with the environment around them. From
an anthropological perspective, this is also interesting in light of our
discussion about "domesticated landscapes" and how humans can change
the environment. Domesticated landscapes such as lawns and parks have been
greatly altered by human behavior; these standards could inspire a change in
human behavior to create different, more sustainable landscapes.
As I read this
article, I couldn't help but think about my walk to class today, where I was
trying to shout over the sound of leaf
blowers. Or other days when I was soaked from the sprinklers watering the
sidewalk, or I noticed how new flowers and shrubs seemed to appear around
campus overnight. How might Notre Dame's campus rank when it comes to these
standards?
Also, if anyone is
more familiar with the LEED standards, how do they consider outdoor spaces? For
example, if a point is earned for a parking spot for "green"
vehicles, would no parking lot at all earn more points?
LEED for the outdoors appears to be a great initiative to bring sustainability to outdoor venues. On the surface, it seems like it would be much easier to create a green outdoor space compared to a building. I'm not especially familiar with how the points are allotted in the outdoor system, but here are some of the goals: improve air and water quality, lower urban heat island effects, increase soil health, increase evapotranspiration, increased vegetative cover, and reduce runoff. All of these stem from the idea of reducing our impact on the natural landscape.
ReplyDeleteI think Notre Dame's campus ranks somewhere around a 7/10. We have lots of trees and vegetation around campus and gardens where they grow herbs and vegetables (which I think we can eat?). However, I think the sprinkler system is especially poor because of it's inefficiency and it wastes too much water on the neighboring concrete. Certainly, there is much room for improvement.
The idea behind LEED standards for outdoor spaces is to encourage the developer to minimize negative impacts on the land. These measures include preserving forests, building narrow streets, using bioretention areas, and building green roofs to conserve water. You would receive credit for preserving vegetative cover, which would presumably be gained by "not building a parking lot." Some of the credits seem to apply to multiple scenarios, but since this outdoor LEED system is relatively new, I expect it to be further refined in years to come.
Overall, I agree that raising the awareness of the sustainable management of outdoor spaces is important. The spaces that have implemented these outdoor LEED standards are beautiful and I think the public will gain a new appreciation of the merging of nature and man in domesticated landscapes.