SEARCH NEWS:       over 10,000 FM articles

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT NEWS

Pilot projects by SITES put sustainable landscape rating system into action

		Click for more information

May 28, 2010—The Sustainable Sites Initiative (SITES) has selected pilot projects to test a national rating system for sustainable landscape design, construction and maintenance.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History & Culture, New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward Sustainable Infrastructure Project and the Indianapolis Super Bowl Village join more than 150 others that include educational centers, transportation corridors, industrial complexes and private residences in employing cutting-edge guidelines and performance benchmarks outlined in the SITES Rating System.

Launched in 2005, SITES represents a partnership of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at The University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden. Its purpose is to fill a critical gap in green design, construction and maintenance by creating voluntary guidelines and performance benchmarks for sustainable landscapes of all kinds, with or without buildings.

The pilot program marks the next phase of SITES: putting to the test a rating system created by dozens of the country's leading sustainability experts, scientists and design professionals, with public input from hundreds of individuals and dozens of organizations.

Located in 34 U.S. states along with Canada, Iceland and Spain, the pilot projects include corporate headquarters, botanic gardens, streetscapes, federal buildings and public parks that vary in scope from several thousand dollar budgets on less than one acre to multimillion dollar efforts affecting hundreds of acres. These projects will restore habitats, rehabilitate landfills, clean and store stormwater, lower the urban heat island effect, create outdoor educational opportunities at schools and reconnect neighborhoods to parks and public transportation.

For more information, visit the SITES Web site.

   
      Associations and Organizations

• USGBC offers free LEED training to select colleges, universities
  
• ANSI approves 2010 edition of X5.6 panel systems standard
  
• ASHRAE and NEMA team to develop smart grid standard
  
• Full Spectrum of NY joins Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments
  
• ANSI partners with American Carbon Registry for greenhouse gas accreditation program
  
• BRE Global, RIBA Enterprises partner for U.K. construction sustainability
  
• U.K.'s BIFM and FMA sign Memorandum of Understanding
  
• Contractors group offers training to build, renovate LEED-certified buildings
  
• California mayors share best practices on energy efficiency and green economy
  
• Australia Green Building Council supports Carbon Trust funding
  
• Data center operator is 300^th achiever of Carbon Trust Standard
  
• CALMAC Corporation joins Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
  
• CarbonBuzz carbon management program awarded three-year grant
  
• Singapore associations partner to strengthen construction industry professionals
  
• USGBC opens building performance partnership to current LEED-certified buildings
  
• Clean energy leaders call for action from world governments
  
• NEMA applauds Senate's federal energy efficiency training act
  
• Association of outsourcing professionals expands certification offerings
  
• The Climate Group backs calls for 30 percent EU emissions cut
  
• Urban Land Institute forms LessEn to push for less energy consumption
  
• Philips adds its lighting expertise to The Climate Group's global coalition
  
• NEMA expands lighting retrofit campaign to blog, Twitter
  
• AIA urges Congress to save clean energy bond program
  
• International District Energy Association praises bill supporting thermal energy
  
• AIA contract documents now embedded in EADOC construction management application
  
• BOMA International launches ANSI-approved retail measurement standard
  
• Companies, MIT form partnership on efficiency in commercial buildings
  
• BREEAM partners with Digital Realty Trust to extend its ratings to data centers
  
• GBCA requests stakeholder feedback for two revised Green Star credits
  
• Pan-European organizations join EU-OSHA for safe maintenance campaign
  
• AFE urges unemployment agencies to fund training for facilities-related jobs
  
• Carbon Trust design service expects to halve data center emissions
  
• Green Building Council of Australia recognizes product certification program
  
• ASHRAE conference focuses on energy efficiency
  
• Canada Green Building Council adopts SMaRT sustainable product standard for LEED points
  
• Green Roofs for Healthy Cities accepting submissions for excellence awards
  
• Contributions of facilities managers are highlighted during World FM Day
  
• Green Building Council and Bank of America team on green neighborhood grants
  
• Wind design standard approved for green roofing
  
• ASHRAE launches iPhone application for ventilation standard
  
• USGBC supports ISSA cleaning industry green building criteria
  
• High-PerformanceBuilding Week celebrates smart structures
  
• ACGIH offers courses in industrial ventilation and useful equations
  
• American Society of Safety Engineers creates international military networking branch
  
• Australian Institute of Architects headquarters raises bar with carbon neutrality
  
• ADA requirements can be ambiguous, says AIA