America's Top 10 Green Housing Developments
(Page 2 of 3)
January/February 2008
By Laurel Kallenbach and Kim Wallace
• Some homes include solar panels
RELATED CONTENT
Looking to live in a community of like-minded eco-warriors? Check out our 2009 picks for the best o...
A green building pioneer’s straw-clay home proves life-changing for its creator and life-giving to ...
As green as a home can be, it's size can diminish its environmentally conscious purpose....
From paint to foundations, Environmental Building News announces top products for 2002....
4. Grayslake, Illinois: Prairie Crossing
Committed to minimizing its impact on the environment, this suburban community preserves 60 percent of its 677 acres as prairie, wetlands and organic farmland. It also has 359 single-family houses, 36 condos, many shops, a café and commuter trains to Chicago. Prairie Crossing’s Station Village is in the LEED-ND pilot program.
• Geothermal-powered school with LEED classrooms
• Green-built houses constructed under U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America program
• Energy Star condos and mixed-use buildings
• Historic buildings rehabilitated: farmhouse, schoolhouse, dairy barn (now a community center)
5. Issaquah, Washington: Issaquah Highlands
This 2,240-acre urban village east of Seattle in the Cascade Mountain foothills balances green space and trails with homes, townhouses, multifamily buildings and an elementary school. The community is building 3.9 million square feet of LEED-certified commercial and retail space.
• Built Green 4-Star level with Energy Star certification on all new homes since 2006
• LEED Silver community center and firehouse
• Vegetation on salon/spa green roof reduces rainwater runoff
• On-site rock and concrete recycling for construction
• Area wetlands protection
6. North Charleston, South Carolina: Navy Yard at Noisette
Located on the former Charleston Naval Base, this 340-acre brownfield redevelopment will house 7,000 families and become part of the city’s sustainable urban revitalization. All structures are built to a minimum LEED Silver standard.
• Mixture of housing price points
• Some solar and geothermal energy offered
• Green roof and bioswales connected to water retention area to control stormwater flooding and improve water quality
• Within walking distance of public transit systems, schools, civic centers
• Native, chemical-free landscaping
7. Portland, Oregon: Helensview
This high-density, low- to moderate-incoming housing neighbor- hood in northeast Portland is being developed by a nonprofit that helps renters become homeowners. It will have 53 single-family houses and condos that qualify for LEED for Homes and LEED-ND programs.