Earlier this year the Scottsdale City Council unanimously approved the establishment of the Green Building (LEED™) Policy for new city buildings and remodels. This action makes Scottsdale the first city in the nation to adopt a LEED™ Gold policy. So what exactly does this mean?

This means that all new, occupied city buildings, of any size, must be designed, contracted and built to achieve certification in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Program at the Gold certification level. In addition, all future renovations and non-occupied city buildings will be designed, contracted and built to include as many principles of both the LEED™ program and the City's Green Building Program where feasible.

In 1998, Scottsdale established Arizona’s first Green Building Program. The residential home program was developed to encourage environmentally responsible building in the Sonoran Desert region by incorporating healthy, resource- and energy-efficient materials and methods in the design and construction of homes. The program’s goals are to reduce the environmental impact of building; achieve both short and long-term savings of energy, water and other natural resources; and encourage a healthier indoor environment. In 2004, 21% of all single-family residential building permits in Scottsdale followed the city green building program standards.

Scottsdale has also developed a commercial green building checklist designed to account for commercial development in the regional context of the Sonoran desert. This will build on the success of the residential green building program and the newly adopted city green building LEED™ policy.

Find out more about going Green in Scottsdale.